Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

751. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the maritime labour convention package, now that the Irish EU Presidency has concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36177/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is applicable to international shipping worldwide.  It aims to achieve decent working and living conditions on board ships for all seafarers, regardless of their nationality or the flag of the ship, and to secure fair competition for quality shipowners.  The Convention will enter into force on 20 August 2013 for those 30 countries that have already ratified it, and it will enter into force for Ireland 12 months after we ratify.  

Ireland supports the Convention, and my Department is working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on the drafting of a suite of Regulations to enable Ireland to ratify.

A number of EU Directives are also relevant to the Convention, including Council Directive 2009/13/EC which implements the Social Agreement made, in 2008, between European management and labour representatives on the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. The Irish Presidency brokered two first reading agreements with the European Parliament on two proposals relating to Flag State and Port State seeking to ensure the enforcement of the MLC within the EU. 

The Flag State Directive lays down the principles to monitor the application of the relevant parts of the Convention, obliging flag States to establish mechanisms for inspection and to ensure the compliance of their ships with the Social Agreement set out in Directive 2009/13/EC.  The Port State Control Directive amends a previous 2009 Directive in order to integrate the Convention requirements related to port State control into EU legislation.