Dublin Port: Staff on board the Irish Ferries' Jonathan Swift in Dublin Port yesterday warned they "could not allow themselves" to be placed in a similar situation to their colleagues in Wales, amid claims of an "intimidatory" atmosphere around the vessel.
Speaking to The Irish Times from on board the vessel, chief engineer Martin Dunne said a new security cordon put in place by Irish Ferries management on Thursday evening had created "a general feeling of fear".
"Anybody attempting to leave or return to the vessel is being asked for ID and having their name checked against the crew list. This is not the norm at all," he said.
The Jonathan Swift was moored in Dublin Port yesterday due to poor weather and is undergoing scheduled repairs. It is not expected to sail again until tomorrow.
Mr Dunne said it was his belief that the ship's officers "could not allow themselves" to be placed in a similar situation to that in which their colleagues in Wales had found themselves.
"If that means closing down systems to prevent unauthorised people taking control of the ship, we would have to consider our position on that," he said. "I cannot emphasise enough the importance of passenger and crew safety."
However, an Irish Ferries spokesman said it had "not hidden" the fact that it had increased security on its ships. This was to protect the vessels and their contents, he said.
The company particularly wished to avoid the vessel being commandeered by crew members or being vandalised, he said.
It also wanted to provide security assurances to other crew members.