EEC proposal for an oil-pollution response system
Faulkner said Ireland would carefully consider practicable international proposals to prevent or respond to oil pollution, though he was unsure what the proposed “fire brigade” system entailed. Quinn linked progress to the legislation discussed earlier, a connection Faulkner rejected.
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.
Comment on this
: 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.
Comment on this
: 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.