Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 28: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of incidents of marine workers being left unpaid for work done that have occurred on ships docked in Irish ports in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17346/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The primary responsibility for the compliance with the law on board ships rests with the flag state in each case. I am unaware of any case of workers being left unpaid on board Irish registered ships as a result of default by an employer in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The payment of wages on foreign flagged ships is a matter for the flag state where the ship is registered and is a matter for the internal domestic law of that country. However, Ireland does carry out inspections onboard foreign flagged ships in Irish ports under the auspices of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on port state control and EU directives. These inspections are carried out to check for compliance with international law. Surveyors from my Department inspect over 400 such foreign flagged ships per year and they detain any ship which poses a safety hazard or which does not comply with the international requirements on living and working arrangements. The number of ships detained in the years mentioned are 2005 twenty-one ships, in 2006 twenty-six ships, in 2007 twenty-four ships and so far in 2008 eight ships have been detained. However, non-payment of wages is not in itself a basis for detention by inspectors of my Department.