By Andy Spearman
Drogheda Councillors were incensed when they learned at yesterday’s monthly meeting that it would be next summer at the earliest before the Hebble Sand dredger is removed from Drogheda Port.
They were also annoyed that Drogheda Port Company had failed, for the second consecutive month, to attend the monthly Borough meeting to update councillors on their plans for the stricken dredger which many see as an eyesore and possible pollution threat since it partially sank at its moorings on September 6.
However Mayor Michelle Hall told the meeting that she had met with the company during the week and was told that it could be months before the Hebble Sand is removed from Drogheda because the company that owns, Larchville Ltd., it is in liquidation.
Councillor Kevin Callan, who is Chair of the Drogheda Tidy Towns, said that it was an absolute disgrace that the Port Company could allow the Hebble Sand to remain on the Quays for so long, especially where it is so very visible to the public.
“That vessel should never have been placed where it was” he said. Referring to the leakage of oil from the sunken vessel he said “it is a time bomb that has already gone off.”
“Drogheda Port seems to be a very successful company” he added, “the funds should have been there to deal with this situation.”
Labour Councillor Pio Smith was more hard hitting with his comments. He said that the reality is that Drogheda Port Company is treating the people of Drogheda and the Council with contempt.
“For them to come out and tell people, as they have done, that this vessel is an important piece of maritime history just underlines their contempt” he continued.
Councillor Callan said that the Port Company were keen for people to go down to their office to discuss the matter but were unwilling to come to the Borough Council meeting which is held in public.
Mayor Michelle Hall said she had asked the company if the boat could be moved to another quay away from the public gaze but had been told there was no other mooring available.
Drogheda Port CEO Paul Fleming told Drogheda Life today that he felt no contempt for the Council. He said he had met with the mayor and had answered any questions she had put to him. As for his non-appearance at the Council meetings, he explained to her that he needed to be elsewhere on both occasions.
He said thathere was a coplicated series of procedures to be gone through with various different agencies and that the Port Company was pushing the vessel’s owners as hard as they could to rectify the situation.
He said he had also been in communication with Council officials who he reckoned should be up to speed with the situation as he had furnished them with a detailed report regarding the Hebble Sand and that they had access to al the information they need.
In the report, which runs to nine pages, Drogheda Port Company says that they wrote to the vessel’s owners, Larchville Ltd., on the 29th of September and on the 14th of November directing them to remove the vessel from the jurisdiction of Drogheda Port as a matter of urgency.
The owners of the Hebble Sand, Northern Ireland Company Larchville Ltd., who are in liquidation, had made contact with the Marine Safety Office (MSO) and the Department of Transport to plan for the vessel’s removal.
“While we will remain available at all times to assist the owners in this regard, it is ultimately their responsibility to ensure the safe removal of the vessel in conjunction with the Marine Safety Office” the Port Company said.
“DPC continue to engage constructively with the vessel owners, most recently Mr John McGill and Mr Brendan Osbourne of Larchville Ltd attended Drogheda Port Company offices on the morning of 24th November to maintain momentum in getting the vessel removed from the port.
“This is following the phased actions of Larchville with the assistance of DPC to deal with various elements of first securing the vessel, having divers attend, removal of waste oils and now the next step of having relevant government bodies attend to survey and snag list the vessel for a safe departure.
“Following the meeting on the 24 of November Larchville undertook to contact again the Marine Survey Office (MSO) with a view to setting up a meeting. DPC has offered to attend such a meeting if deemed to be beneficial. Thereafter, Mr Brendan Osbourne has committed to attend in person and action any such items that the MSO raise.”
