Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if EU Directive 95/21/EC on enhancing maritime safety, including pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions on ships using Irish ports, has been fully implemented; the steps he is taking to enhance the system for monitoring and enforcing the rights and conditions of all maritime workers on ships in Irish ports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21749/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Directive 95/21/EC on port State control of shipping was repealed on 1st January 2011 and replaced by Directive 2009/16/EC. This directive introduced a new port State control regime called the New Inspection Regime (NIR), which strengthens port State control and focuses on sub-standard ships and the companies operating them. It includes the provisions of the appropriate International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.

The new directive was transposed by the European Communities (Port State Control) Regulations 2010 [S.I. No. 656 of 2010], which came into operation on 1st January 2011. The NIR is supported by a new international inspection database - "THETIS" - which is integrated with Ireland's maritime single-window web portal, "SafeSeasIreland" (SSI). The obligation on the shipping industry to report ship movements under NIR was publicised by Marine Notices No. 2 and No. 3 of 2011.

Ireland, as a member state of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (ParisMoU), implements an effective port State control regime and, each year, Port State Control Officers from my Department inspect foreign flagged ships in Irish ports. They detain any of these ships which have serious deficiencies related to safety, the environment, or living and working conditions.