Serious risk to coastline, claims Fine Gael

AUTHORITIES are detaining, on average, one cargo ship every week for maritime safety breaches

But Fine Gael said yesterday the detention figures underlined the serious risk to the coastline. “It raises the question of whether we have the capacity to deal with a major maritime emergency,” said Simon Coveney.

“The environmental disaster following the sinking of the Prestige off Spain last year could easily have been on our doorstep,” said the Fine Gael front bench spokesman on the marine.