Mr. Ciaran McCarthy:

It is concerning that it will again be within the Department of Transport. We are back to a situation where we are leaving the fox in charge of the hen coop. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also has input into fisheries matters, as the Deputy will be aware, so it is another option. Nevertheless, maritime function within this country is highly centralised within the Department of Justice. In fact, there are five divisions in the Department in that regard, including the regulator and the Coast Guard. Senator Craughwell spoke about a case involving the Coast Guard. It is not inconceivable this new unit will be tasked with investigating these other members of the Department of Transport, so it is a little baffling, to my mind, that it will still be centred there. I know there is talk of perhaps locating it in a different building, but I do not see the objective. If we are looking back to the European Court of Justice judgment that criticised us, I do not foresee the objective independence, which the court criticised us for not having, being achieved by siting this unit within the Department of Transport.