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The recently hired seafarers were caught boozing in work hours, returning drunk from shore leave. A spokesman for P&O Ferries said: “Seven agency-employed seafarers who returned from shore were found to be in breach of our strict guidelines on alcohol consumption and have been dismissed.” They added: “The safety of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority and we continue to operate a zero-tolerance policy towards drinking whilst on duty.”

The firm fired nearly 800 employees without notice last month, claiming that it had had to replace them with lower-paid agency workers in order to remain in business.

The actions of P&O Ferries management were widely condemned, including by the Prime Minister, and led to demonstrations – the latest of which took place in Dover yesterday.

After the latest firings, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said: “P&O is continuing to run a shambolic operation following the brutal sacking of 800 skilled seafarers last month.”

The liferafts issue was one of 31 failures on the European Causeway ferry. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) inspectors reported that “launching arrangements for survival craft” were “not as required”.

Other flaws included an evacuation slide not properly maintained, inadequate fire prevention systems and crew unfamiliar with radio gear. There were also problems with labour conditions, navigation and documentation.

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – an alliance of 27 national maritime authorities, including the UK – listed the 31 safety failings but did not give further detail.

More failures were found on the Scotland-Northern Ireland ferry than in any of the 46,000 other inspections within the past three years.

After the mass firing, the firm suspended most sailings and said any disruption would last around 10 days.

But the European Causeway ferry was held at Larne on March 25 and the ship, which can carry 410 passengers and 375 cars, was not cleared to sail again until April 8.

Eight P&O Ferries ships will be examined in the wake of the sackings. Spirit of Britain and Pride of Kent are being held for safety issues, cutting capacity on the Dover-Calais route and causing long lorry queues in Kent.

Pride of Hull passed its inspection but four other ferries are out of action as they have not yet been checked.

A spokesman for P&O Ferries said: “Following confirmation from the MCA that the European Causeway is safe to sail, we were delighted to restart sailings.

“Inspections of our vessels have reached an unprecedented level of rigour. We welcome this additional scrutiny and would reiterate that the safety of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority. We look forward to all of our ships welcoming tourist passengers and freight.”

The MCA said all inspections are done in “the same robust way”.

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