Madam, - I note with satisfaction some fairly recent comments by Minister of State for Transport Noel Ahern on the news that seven Irish-based shipping groups are investing about €600 million in the expansion of our shipping industry.
While not all of these shipping groups are indigenous Irish ones, this investment is a vote of confidence in our economy and the jobs it will create are very welcome. I understand that in the first six months of this year, 21 new or second hand ships have been acquired and a further 27 ships are expected to arrive in the next two years.
It would be good to see all of these ships registered in Ireland and flying the Irish Tricolour. As such they would be subject to Irish law, wherever they end up trading in the world, and that would have a positive impact on their operation, particularly as regards crew welfare.
Of course, given the very large amount of foreign investment involved, it would be fair and reasonable for them to operate instead under the flag of the country, or one of the countries, where the finance is coming from. These countries, like Ireland, have good laws and employment standards. But my great fear, based on past experience, is that many of them will end up - like many beneficially-owned Irish ships today, such as the Irish Ferries Fleet - operating under the notorious flag of convenience.
This is a system whereby shipowners are allowed to register and flag their ships in countries that, in exchange for the registration fees, offer a minimum of laws and regulations and take little or no interest in how crews are treated. Consequently, many of the jobs this investment will create could entail exploitive wage rates and miserable working conditions.
In fairness, I am sure that this is not what Mr Ahern intends, but that is what we could end up with. Unfortunately, Mr Ahern's Government, in making tax concessions to the shipping industry, is "flag blind". Any shipowners which meet some basic conditions will be allowed these concessions, whether they fly the flag of Ireland or some EU country, or that of some notorious regime, such as Burma or North Korea.
- Yours, etc,
TONY AYTON (Retired ITF inspector for Ireland), Avondale Lawn, Waterford.