Merchant Shipping (Load Lines) Act, 1968

Issue of load line certificates.

7.—(1) Where a ship to which this Act applies, being a registered ship, has been surveyed and marked in accordance with the load line rules, the appropriate certificate shall be issued to the owner of the ship on his application.

(2) For the purposes of this section the appropriate certificate—

(a) in the case of an existing ship of not less than one hundred and fifty tons gross tonnage, and in the case of a new ship of not less than twenty-four metres in length, is a certificate which shall be called and is in this Act referred to as an International Load Line Certificate (1966), and

(b) in the case of any other ship, is a certificate which shall be called and is in this Act referred to as an Irish load line certificate.

(3) Subject to the next following subsection, any certificate required by subsection (1) of this section to be issued—

(a) shall be issued by the Minister or by a person authorised in that behalf by the Minister, and

(b) shall be in such form, and shall be issued in such manner, as may be prescribed by the load line rules.

(4) The Minister may request the Government of a Contracting State other than the State to issue an International Load Line Certificate (1966) in respect of any ship to which this Act applies which is a registered ship and falling within subsection (2) (a) of this section; and the following provisions of this Act shall have effect in relation to such a certificate so issued, which contains a statement that it has been issued at the request of the Minister, as they have effect in relation to an International Load Line Certificate (1966) issued by the Minister.