Sea Pollution Act, 1991

PART III

Enforcement

Surveys and inspections of ships.

17.—(1) The Minister, in order to establish that any ship or class of ship complies with the requirements of regulations under section 14 , may by regulations require that any ship, or ship of such class as may be specified in the regulations, its equipment and fittings be surveyed, inspected or tested in such manner and at such times as may be prescribed.

(2) All duties in respect of a survey, inspection or test for the purposes of regulations under this section shall be performed in accordance with the directions of the Minister by—

(a) a surveyor of ships, or

(b) an inspector appointed under section 20 for the purposes of this section.

(3) The owner or master of a ship shall submit the ship to such survey, inspection or test as may be prescribed and shall pay such fee as may be prescribed by order under subsection (5).

(4) If the surveyor of ships or other person appointed for the purposes of this section is satisfied that the ship, its equipment or fittings to which the survey relates complies with the requirements of this Act the Minister shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, cause to be issued a certificate of compliance with such requirements in such form and manner and subject to such conditions as he may prescribe.

(5) The Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may by order prescribe the fees to be paid for surveys, inspections and tests carried out and certificates issued under this section.

(6) When a ship has been surveyed, inspected or tested pursuant to regulations made under this section and a certificate has been issued under subsection (4) in relation to such ship, no change, other than the replacement of any defective equipment or fittings, shall be made, without prior consent given by or on behalf of the Minister, in the structure, equipment and fittings of the ship.

(7) The owner and the master of a ship in respect of which there is a contravention of this section or regulations under this section shall be guilty of an offence.