Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Ms Cassidy for her presentation and wish her all the best in the job. Increasingly, we are seeing recreational casualties. On the face of it, casualties have reduced in recent years but that could easily change if we get warm weather or the weather changes. What Ms Cassidy said about health and safety crosses over into that and, with regard to Ms Cassidy's role, I was interested in hearing more in terms of whether, given the MCIB is there to make recommendations, it would make recommendations in regard to each incident, particularly those involving recreational craft.

With regard to the powers of the board, while it examines incidents and makes recommendations, has it any further role beside that? How many people are employed in this area? Does the board have the equipment necessary to follow up on these incidents? How in-depth are the investigations? If incidents are examined and recommendations made, there has to be research and someone has to provide the statistics and explain exactly what has happened. How in-depth is that? Does this include recommendations in regard to the emergency services such as the helicopter services if, for example, they did not respond? Is there a role for the board to state that, for example, it feels the emergency services were very poor in a given situation?

I know it is a part-time board and Ms Cassidy might tell us how often it sits. In terms of the North-South links between the two different areas, does the MCIB have a linking role with its counterparts in the North and does it share information with regard to incidents and best practice?