Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the working conditions of some employees on board international cruise ships which visit some ports here; if her further attention has been drawn to the fact that some employees get as little as €30 a month and have contracts that may require them to work for six months without a day off; if she will raise this issue with her counterparts in the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10013/10]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for this sector rests with the Minister of Transport. I can advise the Deputy however that the terms and conditions of employment on board international cruise ships are linked to the State in which the ship is registered. In the case of workers employed on Irish registered vessels, the terms and conditions of those employees on the vessel are subject to the provisions of Irish law whether the ship is in Irish territorial waters or on the high seas. This would include legislation dealing with minimum wages. The conditions of employment, including minimum wages, of workers on board vessels under the Irish flag are governed by a comprehensive corpus of Irish employment rights legislation.

If the vessel is not registered in Ireland, it will also be subject to port state control inspections in Ireland by the Department of Transport. Such inspections cover safety, environment protection and International Labour Organisation Conventions. The latter covers the welfare of the crew (food, accommodation, hours of work etc) but excludes rates of pay.

Ireland has consistently supported the International Labour Organisation in its efforts to promote global labour standards for seafarers. A new consolidated Maritime Labour Convention was adopted in February 2006 at the 94th International Labour Conference in Geneva. Ireland was represented at the Conference by a tripartite delegation consisting of Government officials, nominees of the employers (IBEC) and of the workers (ICTU). The new Convention sets out clear principles and rights for seafarers. EU member states are committed to ratifying the new Convention by 31 December 2010 and it is expected to come into force internationally in 2011.