asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will accept on behalf of the Government as legally binding the four existing international conventions on safety at sea for Irish registered vessels.

: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the following international conventions: the 1974 International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea and the 1978 Protocol thereto; the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships amended by the 1978 Protocol and Convention No. 147 on Minimum Standards for Merchant Shipping adopted by the 1976 International Labour Conference.

Before Ireland can ratify these conventions a considerable body of legislation will require to be prepared and enacted in order to give the provisions of the conventions the force of law. The matter is receiving careful consideration taking account of the feasibility of applying the provisions of the conventions, the progress made in other countries in giving effect to them and the contribution they are likely to make to the safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution.

In order to place the matter in its correct perspective I should add that none of the four instruments has yet come into force internationally because none has received the requisite number of ratifications. One of the instruments has received only three ratifications and two of the other instruments mentioned have not yet been ratified by any country.

: Does the Minister accept that the four conventions are desirable?

: They are desirable but there are quite considerable difficulties in relation to their implementation or ratification.

: If the Minister accepts that they are desirable, and I would say in turn that there is a legislative responsibility that follows from that, could the Minister not give some assurance to the House, a House that is not overworked with regard to legislation, that his Department will prepare the necessary legislation?

: There are some aspects of these conventions which would present difficulties for us and not only difficulties for us but quite obviously they present difficulties for other countries as well. The safety of life at sea convention does not present any great difficulties for us. Our main problem there is to have sufficient expert personnel to deal with the nuts and bolts of legislation.

: This is a complex area, but could the Minister give the House any indication as to when any of these conventions is likely to be signed and put into effect by legislation?

: I cannot. The whole thing is so complex that most other countries are in a similar position to ourselves. It will take some time to work out the various problems and difficulties related to it.

: Will it be one year or ten years?

: I am afraid I would be unfair if I made any suggestion as to how long it would take.

7.

asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will recommend to the Government that Ireland should participate in a "fire brigade" system at sea as proposed by the EEC Commission.

: Ireland shares fully the concern experienced by all maritime nations about the need for measures to prevent and, where necessary, to deal with oil pollution disasters. Accordingly, while I am not clear what precisely the Deputy has in mind when he refers to a "fire brigade" system, he can take it that we are ready to consider carefully all proposals made at international level which are practicable in their nature and likely to contribute to the prevention of pollution of the sea or to the means of dealing with it.

: If that is the Minister's attitude to that question we will be expecting rapid progress in the drafting of legislation in relation to the previous question. That will be the test of the sincerity of the Minister's reply.

: I do not think that the Deputy can draw that conclusion from my reply.