Harbours Act, 1996

Organisation of pilotage.

56.—(1) A company the harbour of which is situate in the pilotage district of a pilotage authority shall organise and ensure the provision of pilotage services in that pilotage district by one of the following means, namely—

(a) by employing pilots as members of its staff, or

(b) by licensing persons under section 58 to perform acts of pilotage within that pilotage district:

Provided that pilotage services in Dún Laoghaire Harbour and Foynes Harbour shall (whether or not a company stands established pursuant to section 7 in respect of either such harbour) be organised and the provision of such services ensured—

(i) in the case of the first-mentioned harbour, by Dublin Port Company,

(ii) in the case of the second-mentioned harbour, by Shannon Estuary Ports Company,

and by the same means as Dublin Port Company or Shannon Estuary Ports Company, as the case may be, otherwise organises and ensures the provision of pilotage services in the pilotage district aforesaid and, accordingly, save where an order under section 79 (1) specifies otherwise, this subsection shall not apply to Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company or Foynes Port Company and references in this Part to a company shall not be construed as including either of the said companies.

(2) If a company decides to organise and ensure the provision of pilotage services in its pilotage district by the means specified in paragraph (a) of subsection (1), the company may make provision for the payment of compensation by it to any holder of a pilot's licence granted under the Pilotage Act, 1913 , by the former pilotage authority for the company's pilotage district, and which was in force immediately before the commencement of subsection (1) in relation to the company, as respects the financial loss (if any) that, in the opinion of the company, the said holder will incur in consequence of the company carrying into effect the said decision.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), a company may organise and operate a pilot boat service for its pilotage district, and such other means of conveying pilots to or from a place within, or in the vicinity of, its pilotage district as it considers appropriate.

(4) The harbour master for a pilotage district shall superintend the carrying out by the pilots for that pilotage district of their duties as such pilots.