S.I. No. 369/2025 - Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Accommodation, Recreational Facilities, Food, Catering and Ships’ Cooks) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 1st August, 2025.

I, SEÁN CANNEY, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 87 of the Merchant Shipping Act 2010 (No. 14 of 2010) (as adapted by the Transport, Tourism and Sport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 351 of 2020 )) and the Transport (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2025 ( S.I. No. 144 of 2025 ), hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Accommodation, Recreational Facilities, Food, Catering and Ships’ Cooks) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

2. The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Accommodation, Recreational Facilities, Food, Catering and Ships’ Cooks) Regulations 2014 ( S.I. No. 374 of 2014 ) are amended:

(a) in Regulation 2 –

(i) by substituting for the definition of “competent authority” the following definition:

“‘competent authority’ means that part of the Department of Transport which is known as the Marine Survey Office;”,

(ii) by deleting the definitions of “Convention” and “Minister”,

(b) in Regulation 5, by substituting for paragraph (6) the following:

“(6) The clear headroom in accommodation on board a ship shall be not less than 203 centimetres (6ft 6.5ins). The competent authority may permit limited reduction in the headroom in any space, or part of any space, in such accommodation where it is satisfied that such reduction:

(a) is reasonable, and

(b) will not result in discomfort to the seafarers.”,

(c) by substituting for Regulation 8 the following:

“8. (1) Where there is sleeping accommodation on a ship to which these Regulations apply, the sleeping accommodation shall meet the following requirements:

(a) in a ship of 500 gross tonnage or over (other than a passenger ship) an individual sleeping room shall be provided for each seafarer;

(b) separate sleeping rooms shall be provided for men and women;

(c) a sleeping room shall be of the size set out in this Regulation and shall be equipped in such a manner as to ensure reasonable comfort and to facilitate tidiness;

(d) a separate berth for each seafarer shall in all circumstances be provided;

(e) the minimum inside dimensions of a berth shall be at least 198 centimetres by 80 centimetres;

(f) on ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage, other than passenger ships, a sleeping room may be occupied by a maximum of 2 seafarers; the floor area of such a sleeping room shall not be less than 7 square metres;

(g) in single berth seafarers’ sleeping rooms, the floor area shall not be less than—

(i) 4.5 square metres in ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage,

(ii) 5.5 square metres in ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or over but less than 10,000 gross tonnage,

(iii) 7 square metres in ships of 10,000 gross tonnage or over;

(h) on passenger ships the floor area of a sleeping room for seafarers who do not perform the duties of ships’ officers shall not be less than—

(i) 7.5 square metres, if the room accommodates 2 persons,

(ii) 11.5 square metres, if the room accommodates 3 persons,

(iii) 14.5 square metres, if the room accommodates 4 persons;

(i) on ships, other than passenger ships, the floor area per person of a sleeping room for seafarers who perform the duties of ships’ officers, where no private sitting room or day room is provided, shall not be less than—

(i) 7.5 square metres, in ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage,

(ii) 8.5 square metres, in ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or over but less than 10,000 gross tonnage,

(iii) 10 square metres, in ships of 10,000 gross tonnage or over;

(j) on passenger ships the floor area per person of a sleeping room for seafarers who perform the duties of ships’ officers where no private sitting room or day room is provided shall not be less than—

(i) 7.5 square metres, for junior officers, or

(ii) 8.5 square metres, for senior officers,

where junior officers are understood to be at an operational level and senior officers at a management level;

(k) on ships of 500 gross tonnage or over, each of the master, chief engineer and chief navigating officer shall have, in addition to their sleeping room, an adjoining sitting room, day room or equivalent additional space;

(l) the furniture in a sleeping room shall include, for each occupant of the room, a clothes locker that is fitted with a shelf and may be locked by the occupant so as to ensure privacy and—

(i) that has ample space (a minimum of 475 litres) and has a drawer or equivalent space of not less than 56 litres, or

(ii) if the drawer is incorporated in the locker, for which the combined minimum volume is 500 litres;

(m) each sleeping room shall be provided with a table or desk, which may be of the fixed, drop-leaf or slide-out type, and with comfortable seating accommodation.

(2) The competent authority may–

(a) provide an exemption from subparagraphs (1)(a) and (1)(k) in the case of ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage, and

(b) allow for a reduced floor space, other than the specification set out in subparagraph (1)(g)(i), in order to provide single berth sleeping rooms on ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage.”,

(d) in Regulation 9, by substituting for paragraph (1) the following:

“(1) On ships of 500 gross tonnage or over, mess rooms shall be located apart from the sleeping rooms and as close as practicable to the galley. The competent authority may provide an exemption from this requirement in the case of ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage.”,

(e) in Regulation 10, by substituting for paragraph (3) the following:

“(3) On ships of 500 gross tonnage or over, sanitary facilities shall be provided within easy access of the navigating bridge and machinery space or near the engine room control centre. The competent authority may provide an exemption from this requirement in the case of ships of less than 3,000 gross tonnage.”,

(f) by substituting for Regulation 14 the following:

“14. Recreational facilities, amenities and services, including social connectivity, appropriate to the special needs of seafarers who must live and work on ships, shall be provided on board Irish ships for the benefit of all seafarers, taking into account Regulation 4.3 of the Convention and the associated provisions in Part A of the Code on health and safety protection and accident prevention.”,

(g) in Regulation 18, by inserting “and drinking water” after the word “food”,

and

(h) in Regulation 20(1), by substituting for subparagraph (c) the following:

“(c) the organisation and equipment of the catering department shall be such as to permit the provision to the seafarers of adequate, varied, balanced and nutritious meals prepared and served in hygienic conditions;”.

GIVEN under my hand,

29 July 2025

SEÁN CANNEY,

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations provide for the 2022 updates to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. In particular, the regulations set out the floor area for single berth sleeping rooms and cater for the inclusion of access to social connectivity facilities for seafarers working on board ships.