LAST UPDATE | 20 Sep
THE BERTHING OF the seized alleged drug trafficking ship the MV Matthew in Cork has cost the State €4.4m in the space of 11 months.
The presence of the detained bulk carrier in Cork Harbour has also caused significant problems for the Port of Cork Company (POCC) which has told Revenue that it is causing “operational problems”.
The harbour master Paul O’Regan has appealed to the State to give a definite indication of when the ship will leave the facility.
The MV Matthew was seized on 26 September, 2023 in a dramatic drugs interdiction operation off the south coast.
Members of the Irish Special Forces unit the Army Ranger Wing and the Naval Service launched a daring mission to take the ship.
On board gardaí and Revenue Customs officers allegedly found 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €157m. A number of people have been charged in connection with the seizure.
Following the capture of the ship off the Waterford and Cork coast the MV Matthew was brought into Cork Harbour and has remained there since, generally tied up at the Marino Point site near Cobh.
Maritime and security sources have told The Journal that its presence has caused significant problems for the Port of Cork Company and that tensions have emerged between the port and Revenue Customs. We also were told that a specialist international crew has been hired to man the vessel.
To investigate this we requested costs and correspondence in a Freedom of Information application.
The documents show that it has cost the State €4,499,971 to store the vessel in berthing, maintenance and crewing between September 2023 to 20 August 2024.
The correspondence also shows a clear escalating dispute between Revenue and the Port of Cork Company, which is a commercial semi-state body. The documents also detail an added risk exposure due to a potential lack of insurance as the ship has lost its “class” classification.
This status is issued to a ship which ensures that it meets certain marine standards, in turn it then allows marine insurance to foot the bill if anything goes wrong. Sources have said that a problem of no insurance on a ship that size could cause significant issues for POCC.
The document trawl produced 25 separate email chains - a lot of the details in the correspondence are redacted but it gives a clear picture of costings and the escalating tensions.
The correspondence starts in September shortly after the seizure with of the ship.
In an email on 26 September from Paul O’Regan to his Revenue contact the harbour master said POCC were “happy to support the request” to berth the ship and also documented charges. In this email there is also some administrative issues discussed.
Bringing the ship into Cork on the day of the capture cost the State €35,386 alone – this included pilot costs, tug boats and moorings.
On 4 October, 2023 Paul O’Regan sent a detailed and lengthy report about the Port of Cork’s views on the presence of the MV Matthew in its facility.
He said that the POCC “remain supportive” of the State and added that he was “sure” that the agencies were “working towards the most expedient and appropriate solution to free POCC of “being encumbered by the vessel”.
O’Regan went onto say that he as harbour master must highlight “certain risks”.
He raised concerns that the MV Matthew was uninsured and that the State agency with responsibility for the MV Matthew should obtain insurance. O’Regan brought up the importance of having the ship in “class” and how it must be maintained.
O’Regan suggested that a company should be appointed to take over the crewing of the ship and that there was a need at least for 11 crew to be employed.
He also warned that the MV Matthew was on a “commercial berth” and that it would need to be shifted once per month to facilitate other ship deliveries.
The Harbour Master also offered advice on the sale of the vessel. There is reference to the inability to locate owners of the MV Matthew and he advised a “judicial sale” as this would legally remove certain risks around who was in control of the vessel.
A judicial sale is one conducted by a court appointed agent.
The correspondence then continued that as the ship was being moved around the harbour to facilitate the use by other cargo ships of the berth at Marino Point that challenges may be faced by POCC to find a location to place the vessel.
Maritime sources The Journal spoke to said that a factory adjacent to the Marino Point site takes delivery of production materials once per month and that this necessitated that the POCC would need to move the ship.
On 3 November 2023 an issue arose about moving the MV Matthew to a berth across from Marino Point to the town of Passage West – it was the first sign of problems.
On 4 December an email about an impending move stated in reference to Passage West that “the last occasion was a bit hectic trying to get people”.
A second email on the same day had Paul O’Regan ask: “when might we see her sold”. He requested that his contact “keep this one between us”.
By 19 February 2024 tensions were clear – O’Regan in an email to his Revenue contact said that they were struggling to find a place to move the MV Matthew.
The vessel, he said, was starting to cause operational issues. He added: “I would appreciate if the matter of her sale/disposal could be expedited as much as possible”.
He warned that the arrival of cruise ships in the spring would make the movement of the ship “a major issue”.
It’s clear from the correspondence that there were discussions taking place between O’Regan and Revenue outside of emails but that details and concerns were being recorded in writing.
On 15 and 16 April 2024 another email chain addressed the issue of the classification of the MV Matthew. Revenue informed the POCC that because the owners were not abiding by terms and conditions that an unnamed agency could not continue “provision of class”.
Revenue told the POCC that “insurance cover remains in place for the MV Matthew”.
Harbour master Paul O’Regan warned that the situation was “becoming more difficult” as the port began to get busier as summer approached.
There was also another issue developing and that was the issue of the costs incurred if the Matthew blocked a berth. This is because of additional costs accrued by companies operating vessels delayed from delivering their goods on time.
The waiting vessels would have to pay the cost of not delivering its cargo on time.
O’Regan also asked for work to be done on the “anchoring equipment” so that the ship could be moved to an anchorage offshore as a solution.
On 3 May the tensions had become more present in correspondence – O’Regan directly said: “The management, scheduling of services and resources is now becoming a burden on port company and our customers”.
He said in this missive that he was “very concerned” that the class had been withdrawn and warned that insurance cover would be lost.
O’Regan documented a “near miss” when a passing ship caused the bulk carrier to move off its berth. He also requested clarity on when the ship would be sold.
“While the Port of Cork Company will always work in collaboration with Revenue [redacted] the burden on a busy Tier One port in trying to manage a situation with no end in sight is troubling and may well interfere with the smooth and efficient operation of port services to other customers.”
He then advised that if the criminal proceedings “will become prolonged” he advised that an alternative arrangement would be needed for the MV Matthew.
In a statement a spokesperson for the POCC said it would continue to provide berthing space for the MV Matthew “as long as required”.
“The ship is primarily berthed at Marino Point in Cobh, which has the lowest volume of traffic movement.
“However, as a Top Tier One port managing thousands of vessel movements each year, it’s not ideal to have a vessel of this size berthed long-term at the Port.
“However, as everyone is aware, this is an exceptional circumstance and our role in this instance is to work with our stakeholders to facilitate them as much as possible, while at the same time ensuring that safety and the smooth running of our port remain our top priorities,” the statement said.
Revenue said in a statement: “The vessel is now forfeit to the Revenue Commissioners. A number of persons are currently before the courts on charges related to this matter and the MV Matthew is retained until such time as it is determined that it is not required as an exhibit in those proceedings.
“It is Revenue’s intention to dispose of the vessel as soon as the legal position allows. In the meantime, the MV Matthew remains under the care and management of Revenue, as the seizing authority.
“Revenue continues to work with the Port of Cork, its technical managers and on-board personnel in relation to the management and berthing of the MV Matthew.”
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