Mercantile Marine Act, 1955

Tonnage of ships of other countries.

95.—(1) Where the Minister is satisfied that the rules in force for the measurement of tonnage of ships applied by another country are similar to the tonnage regulations of this Act, the Minister may direct that the ships of that country shall, without being remeasured in the State, be deemed to be of the tonnage denoted in their certificates of registry or other national papers, in the same manner, to the same extent and for the same purposes as the tonnage denoted in the certificate of registry of a registered ship is deemed to be the tonnage of that ship, and any space shown by the certificate of registry or other national papers of any such ship as deducted from tonnage on account of being occupied by seamen or apprentices, and appropriated to their use, shall be deemed to have been certified under this Act and to comply with the provisions of this Act which apply to such a space in the case of registered ships, unless a surveyor of ships certifies to the Minister that the construction and the equipment of the ship as respects that space do not come up to the standard required under this Act in the case of a registered ship, and if any question arises whether the construction and the equipment of the ship so come up to the required standard a surveyor of ships may inspect the ship for the purpose of determining whether such a certificate should be given by him or not.

(2) The Minister may limit the time during which the direction is to remain in operation, and make the direction subject to such conditions and qualifications (if any) as the Minister may deem expedient, and the operation of the direction shall be limited and modified accordingly.

(3) If it is made to appear to the Minister that the tonnage of a ship, as measured by the rules of the country to which she belongs, materially differs from that which would be her tonnage if measured under this Act, the Minister may direct that, notwithstanding any direction for the time being in force under this section, any of the ships of that country may, for all or any of the purposes of this Act, be remeasured in accordance with this Act.

Register Office.