Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is the first time I have addressed the Minister since his elevation. I thank him for agreeing to come before the committee for today’s discussion. I am always wary when I hear that somebody wants to get legislation through without pre-legislative scrutiny because that is what leads to many of the problems that arise. When legislation is bad, it takes forever to correct it. I appreciate the Minister taking the time to listen to what has been said. I hope he will take it on board.

My colleague, Deputy Cathal Crowe, referred to the tragic accident in Kilkee in 2018 in which the life of a volunteer member of the Irish Coast Guard was lost. He made the point that as part of the outcome, a need for training was identified. In 2017, we had the loss of Rescue 116. It is three years on from 2017 but there is not a word about a final report or even an interim report. I consider it to be the role of the board to expedite the investigation as quickly as possible and to issue a report. I seek the Minister's view on that. I realise we are living in an extremely litigious country but air accident investigations take place all over the world and nothing stops the report being brought out in a timely way. A medical surgeon told me one time that if the same procedures were applied in a hospital theatre as are applied to air accident investigations, and hopefully marine accident investigations, there would be very few deaths in operating theatres. Does the Minister agree that immediately after the investigation, when the report is issued, leaving aside the sensitivities, there should be a plan of action statutorily built into the process to force the actions highlighted by the investigation board to be implemented and a timeline put on the implementation of any recommendations? That could then be subject to a review by an inspector appointed by the Department.

It could possibly report back to the Oireachtas but it should certainly report back to the board.

We must learn from the mistakes and the accidents of the past. Putting a board in place to carry out an investigation and stopping at that stage would be a pointless exercise. There must be a complete series of events that will minimise the chances of a repeat of the accidents being investigated.