The Minister for the Marine, Mr Dermot Ahern, has dismissed criticism by the Green Party over his handling of the controversial US "toxic ships" convoy across the Atlantic.
The Minister, who discussed the issue with the EU Transport Commissioner, Ms Loyola Palacio, at Farmleigh in Dublin yesterday, said that he had done everything in his power to register Ireland's opposition to delivery of a fleet of ageing US Navy vessels to Britain.
The first two of a convoy of US vessels is expected to be 250 miles off the Irish coastline tonight, the closest point to this island on their route to Hartlepool in England from Virginia. The initial convoy of four is part of a fleet of 142 ships which the US Maritime Administration wants to scrap for environmental reasons, under a $14.8 million contract with a British company, Able UK.
The vessels contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos and heavy diesel. However, the British Environment Agency said this week that the licence obtained by the British company for the contract was invalid.
The Green TD, Mr Trevor Sargent, wished the Minister well yesterday on his "tanker-style turnaround" on the issue.