A Greek-owned tanker which is on the EU "blacklist" of ships has been detained in Dublin by the Maritime Safety Directorate.
The 2,663 ton single-hull tanker, Anastasios IV, which is registered in the Comoros Islands off East Africa, was identified as having 38 deficiencies on arrival in Dublin last week.
Maritime Safety Directorate surveyors noted that there had been a breakdown of the onboard international safety management system during their inspection on January 16th.
In a separate development, the International Transport Federation was forced to intervene in a dispute over paying the ten crew on board, but expects this to be resolved today.
The MSD says it was made aware of the ship by the European Commission's indicative "blacklist", which was published in the wake of the Prestige tanker disaster off the Spanish coast late last year.
The list of 66 ships, none of them Irish, was identified by the EU Transport Commissioner, Ms Loyola de Palacio. Under current global shipping rules laid down by the International Maritime Organisation, single-hulled tankers like the Anastasios IV must be phased out by 2015, and all tankers built since 1996 must have double hulls.
Other deficiencies noted on the Anastasios IV by the MSD surveyors included a faulty fire detection system, faulty emergency fire pump, dirty accommodation, faulty oily water separator and a lack of up-to-date navigational charts and publications for these waters.
The ship's agents told The Irish Times that the deficiencies were fairly minor and would be rectified by early next week.
It said it was co-operating fully with the MSD and had kept it fully informed of the ship's arrival.
The ship with a cargo of molasses was visiting Dublin for the first time, but was in Foynes several years ago.
It has a history of detentions for breaches of maritime regulations. It was detained in Portugal on June 14th, 2002, for three days with 30 deficiencies; in France on January 24th, 2002, for one day with six deficiencies; in Greece on September 30th, 2001, for 19 days with five deficiencies; in Italy on August 1st, 2001 for seven days with eight deficiencies; in the Netherlands on March 26th for 14 days with 41 deficiencies; and in Spain on January 19th, 2001, for seven days with six deficiencies. Mr Tony Ayton of the International Transport Federation said that the ten crew on board were not being paid the full agreed rate, but the company had agreed to make a reimbursement which was expected today.
The multinational crew includes three Pakistanis, three Romanians, one Liberian, one Egyptian, one Greek and one Albanian. Four of the crew have asked to be repatriated as the dispute over pay became so unpleasant, he said, while one of the three Pakistanis had already left.
The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, said that all EU member-states had to be vigilant, following the Prestige sinking off Spain, and his Department's surveyors would continue to impose standards rigorously.
He said last night that the EU intended to ban single hull vessels from 2015 he was considering bringing in a specific ban for Irish ports at an earlier stage.
The Fianna Fáil TD for Dún Laoghaire, Mr Barry Andrews, said the detention showed safeguards here were working. The MSD says that the vessel will not be re-examined until after the Comoros flag state authorities have carried out a full inspection and all the deficiencies are rectified.
