Maritime Passenger Transport

Scope

The Marine Passenger Transport element of this Plan deals with passenger ships on voyages within the State or to and from the State, the international ferry ports which serve these passenger ships and, where applicable, regional ports and harbours. It takes account of widely differing types of passenger ships, which range from modern large international passenger ferries serving ports in Britain and France, to medium sized passenger ships serving our offshore islands and small vessels plying short voyages on inshore waters and lakes. Vessels are almost all in private ownership and none of the international ferries now operate under the Irish Flag. The extent of facilities for passengers varies considerably between the largest and the smallest ships and reflects the length and nature of the trips which the various vessels undertake. The Plan also looks at the different categories of harbours from large commercial ports serving international ferries to smaller regional and local ports from which passenger services operate.

Passenger Ships

General

To be operated as an international passenger ship, the ship must have a current passenger ship certificate from the flag state. To obtain such a certificate, the ship is surveyed on an annual basis to ensure compliance with international safety requirements for construction and safety equipment. The ship may also be subject to inspections by Department of Transport surveyors known as "port state control" to ensure that safety standards are maintained. Domestic passenger ships are surveyed and certified on an annual basis by the Department's Marine Surveyors under domestic legislation.

Standards for Access to Passenger Ships

Passenger Ships engaged in international voyages

Both Irish flagged and foreign flagged vessels are governed by international agreements on shipping. Arising from these agreements, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has produced recommendations for international passenger vessels. These are contained in the document entitled IMO Circular MSC/735 of 24/06/1996 Recommendation on the design and operation of passenger ships to respond to elderly and disabled persons' needs. There are some indications that at least some of these vessels, operating to and from Ireland, already substantially comply with best international practice contained in that Circular. The Circular includes specific guidelines on special car parking spaces for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. The annual survey of vessels referred to below will inform the assessment of the level of implementation of the provisions of the IMO circular.

Domestic Passenger Ships

Safety rules and standards for domestic passenger ships are governed by EU Directive 2003/24/EC. This Directive has been transposed into Irish law by Statutory Instrument No. 716 of 2004. The Directive, which is aimed at certain categories of domestic passenger ships not engaged on international voyages, establishes standards of a general nature to assist passengers with reduced mobility. The Directive requires that sea going steel hulled vessels and all high-speed craft, used for public transport, the keel of which was laid or which were at a similar stage of construction, on or after 1 October 2004 shall comply, where practicable, with the guidelines in Annex III to the Directive on guidelines for persons with reduced mobility (see Appendix 7 of this document).

Also, in accordance with Directive 2003/24/EC, operators of the same categories of existing passenger ships, the keel of which was laid or which were at a similar stage of construction before 1 October 2004 and which undergo modification, must apply the guidelines in Annex III of the Directive, as far as is reasonable and practicable in economic terms.

To date, a total of only seven domestic Irish passenger ships fall within the terms of the Directive and only one has been built since the entry into force of the legislation and one is under construction. Notwithstanding the limited number of vessels covered by the Directive, the Maritime Safety Directorate, as a matter of policy, seeks compliance with the Directive on a voluntary basis during the construction of those categories of domestic passenger ships not covered by the Directive.

Services to Offshore Islands

A number of services to offshore islands are operated under contract with and subsidised by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. That Department has undertaken to include a requirement in all new and renewed service contracts that the operator must be compliant with the Maritime Passenger Transport section of the Department of Transport Sectoral Plan. At this juncture, there is no such specific requirement for passenger ship operators. However, when the data from the annual survey is available (see next paragraph), an assessment will be made on what improvements need to be made to these passenger ship services.

Assessing the standard of services provided for disabled passengers

A key element in the assessment and monitoring of the level of services available to passengers with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments on board passenger ships, both international and domestic, comprises the introduction by the Department of Transport of an annual "Questionnaire on Disability Access on Passenger Ships". The Questionnaire is designed to facilitate an ongoing action programme of access improvement.

Vessel owners will be asked to complete the Questionnaire during their annual vessel safety inspection conducted by the Department's Marine Surveyors. This will enable the Surveyors to assess the extent to which the needs of persons with disabilities are being met on the wide range of passenger vessels operating in Ireland and to and from the State. It will also help develop an ongoing strategy to ensure that vessels meet the highest possible standards for access and that vessel operators employ best practice in dealing with people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

The Questionnaire was first used during inspections in January 2006 and will form part of all future surveys and inspections on passenger vessels. A copy of the Questionnaire is at Appendix 4.

A further initiative in assessing the accessibility of vessels for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments is the undertaking of a "snap shot" disabled-user survey of three international ports - Dublin, Dun Laoghaire and Rosslare together with Rossaveel Harbour (which is the State's busiest domestic passsenger port) and the ferries operating from them. This work is being undertaken to experience at first hand the facilities available for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments on shore and on ship.

Both the Questionnaire and the "spot check" survey process will yield more precise information on the adequacy of accessibility provisions now in place. The results will help inform the development future policies and strategies.

Recent Developments at EU Level

The European Commission has embarked on a programme of examining the rights of international maritime passengers, including passengers with reduced mobility. In January 2006, the Commission launched a public consultation on the subject, which includes a specific focus on the protection of the rights of persons with reduced mobility travelling by sea and inland waterways.

The Commission acknowledges the limitations in the existing directive (EU Directive 2003/24/EC ) on safety rules and standards for passenger ships and it proposes now to examine a range of issues including :

access to ports;
the right not to be denied permission to travel by sea;
the right to receive all necessary information and assistance throughout a journey at no extra cost;
the need to quantify any additional costs and who should bear them;
the identification of organisations within the sector which should provide assistance e.g. port management and shipping companies; and
very importantly, a standard legal framework which ensures equal protection of rights throughout Europe.

Clearly at EU level there is now an impetus to assess the adequacy of arrangements for passengers with reduced mobility using passenger ships and to address the question of effective European standards as necessary. Ireland is participating fully in this process. The Department of Transport is engaging with the Commission and other Member States and will work at European level to ensure that effective EU standards for access to maritime transport are adopted and implemented. Contacts which the Department has had with the EU Commission at Directorate General TREN responsible for transport, suggest that the Commission will prepare a Communication setting out its views on the way forward after it completes the consultation process.

Policy Objective

It is the Department's objective to have clearly established by 2008 the extent to which vessels operating in Ireland and to and from Ireland offer services that are accessible by passengers with mobility and sensory impairments. While responsibility for proposing a regulatory framework for the EU rests with the European Commission, the Department will use this period to press strongly for a comprehensive initiative at EU level to make this happen. The aim will be to include in the 2008 review an expanded and more targeted policy with specific action points for the following two-year period 2008 to 2010.

Passenger Ports

International Ferry Ports

There are four international ferry ports in the country: Cork, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire and Rosslare. The passenger facilities in these ports are operated by state owned companies. These port companies recognise the importance of delivering a high quality service to all passengers including to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

A brief description of the accessibility features at each port follows.

Port of Cork

Access facilities for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments have been installed in the company's offices in the Custom House Building. The Ringaskiddy Passenger Ferry Terminal is all on one level and is accessible. Wheelchairs are available upon request and there is a priority travel system in the car park for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. Information regarding ferry operations and sailing times is available in formats such as the public address system and large digital display signs. While the port does not operate an information desk, staff are available in the terminal building to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Dublin Port

Terminal 1 is the main passenger terminal at the port. It is a purpose built passenger terminal with check in and arrivals located on the ground floor. Parking for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments is provided outside the terminal. The building has accessible toilets as well as a lift to the upper floor where passengers access the ferries. All passenger facilities can accommodate wheelchair users. Port staff are available to provide assistance to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. A new accessible passenger waiting area has been built at Terminal 2 while Terminal 3 is mainly used for freight services and facilities are mainly geared towards freight vehicle drivers.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour

The ferry terminal consists of one building with two main access points. All passenger services are accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. Assistance is available to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments on request. People with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments receive assistance at check in and designated parking is provided adjacent to the lifts on the car deck of the ferry. The harbour police have been given disability awareness training. The terminal evacuation plan has been amended to incorporate the needs of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments, including the provision of "evac chairs". Three of the parking spaces for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments are fitted with a device that audibly informs the driver that the space is reserved for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. The Port Operations Manager acts as the accessibility officer.

Rosslare Europort

The port has one main terminal building which has access for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. The building has received a Rehab award for providing equity of access in its design. Rosslare Europort is operated by Iarnród Éireann and is bound by Iarnród Éireann's policy on the provision of services to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. The company has appointed both an equality and diversity officer and an accessibility liaison officer. Disability awareness training is provided to staff.

With a view to improving passenger accessibility at the four international ferry ports, the Department of Transport will ensure that each of the port authorities:

arranges, within six months of the Department's Sectoral Plan coming into force, for an independent accessibility audit of the passenger facilities at its port and finalise an action plan, with clear, realistic, tangible and time-bound targets for achieving any required improvements, within three months of the completion of the audit. Such audits will include an assessment of any port websites used to convey passenger information. In arranging the independent accessibility audits, the port authorities will liaise with the National Disability Authority.
appoints a senior official with specific responsibility for transport accessibility matters The appointee in each case will be responsible for delivering on the commitments that are contained in this Plan and in the port action plan in respect of the port concerned and for reporting to, and liaising with, the Department in relation to all transport accessibility matters relating to the relevant port.
encourages other service providers within their harbour areas to ensure that passenger services provided by them are accessible, as far as practicable, to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

There are also thirteen regional harbour authorities that operate under the Harbours Act 1946. Local passenger services are provided from a number of harbours in this category, often to offshore islands or on sightseeing/activity trips. Facilities in these harbours for people with disabilities will be addressed by the relevant harbour authorities.

Other Ports

There are five fishery harbours centres owned and operated by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. A number of these harbours have domestic passenger services operating from them to offshore islands. The Sectoral Plan of that Department includes a section dealing with its proposals in relation to these harbours.

There is also a large number of harbours, landing places and slips owned and operated by local authorities. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is addressing these facilities in the Local Authority Plans chapter of its Sectoral Plan.

Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland, a North/South Implementation Body, is responsible for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of the inland navigable waterway system throughout the island, principally for recreational purposes. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has responsibility for Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland has been developing an Access for All Improvement Plan over the past 18 months. As part of this process, audit tools have been developed to assess current access against best practice. Engineers have received disability awareness training and use of the Access Audit Tools. A rolling programme of access audits is proposed for implementation over the next couple of years in addition to detailed access auditing at specific sites where work is planned. These audits will facilitate the development of access improvement programs.

Waterways Ireland is committed to the ongoing development of angling facilities for disabled anglers along its waterway network. Wheelchair accessible facilities are currently available on the Grand Canal and Barrow Navigation. These accessible stands and ancillary facilities have been constructed to a high standard and represent the start of an ongoing process that aims to provide anglers with disabilities with access to the best of coarse and pike angling.