asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if an investigation will be instituted into the collision at sea of a Greek cargo ship and a Greek tanker off the Irish coast at 5 a.m. on 25 September 1979; if he is aware that it appears that these two ships collided at right angles and that the tanker concerned appeared to be in close proximity to the Irish coast and in serious danger of constituting a major incident; if he is fully satisfied that a full inquiry into the matter is not warranted; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

A formal investigation under the Merchant Shipping Acts into a shipping casualty is normally held only when an Irish-registered vessel is involved. In this collision, which occurred outside Irish territorial waters, no Irish ship was involved. An investigation into the collision would be a matter for the Government of the country in which the ships are registered.

Would the Minister accept that it is highly unlikely that the Greek authorities will institute any such inquiry and that there is the greatest suspicion on the part of several interested parties that this collision occurred within Irish territorial waters and that there could have been a major catastrophe having regard to the capacity—62,000 tons—of the major Greek tanker when the Greek cargo ship carved through the tanker at right angles? Anybody who saw the ship afterwards or who saw photographs of it will agree with what I am saying.

This is a very long question.

In these circumstances is there not warranted at least a cursory investigation by the Irish authorities?

I would not agree that a cursory investigation is a proper investigation at any time.

It would be better than not having any inquiry.

I doubt that very much. However, my information is that the collision occurred outside Irish territorial waters and that, in accordance with international practice, the obligation to hold an inquiry rests with the country in which the ships concerned are registered. I hope that the Greek authorities will hold an inquiry in this instance.

Since the Minister has expressed the hope that there will be an inquiry, will he be requesting the Greek authorities to hold such an inquiry?

It is not my business to make such a request.

Is it not reasonable for us to ask the Minister to give some effect to the hope he has expressed simply by asking that an inquiry be held? He is not in a position to do any more and unfortunately, we are not in a position to make such a request.

The obligation to hold an inquiry in this case rests with the Greek authorities.

Would the Minister be prepared to seek evidence from the lifeboat crew who went out to the vessels involved in the collision because such evidence would indicate that the information from the Greek captain was not correct.

The Minister has answered the question.

The evidence of the lifeboat people and of people who were in other ships in the area at the time is that the collision occurred in Irish territorial waters.

The Deputy is pressing the Minister to repeat the reply he has given to the question.

It might have been another Whiddy Island situation.

Is there any provision whereby the Irish Government should be informed regarding any ship either in or near Irish territorial waters?

That is a separate question.

Is there any provision whereby the integrity of Irish waters would be safeguarded by the compulsory relaying to the Government of information regarding ships in or near Irish territorial waters?

While that supplementary may be related to the question it is really a separate matter.

Perhaps the Deputy would table a question in that regard.

In other words, the Minister does not know the answer.

It does not follow that I do not know the answer. If I were to answer every supplementary asked that is not related to the subject matter of the questions, I would be here all day.

The Minister was not too concerned regarding the previous collision and presumably we may not expect too much on this occasion either.

That worked out much better than the Deputy thought it would work out.

That remains to be seen.