Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Transport companies in all transport modes now have freedom to operate in any of the member states of the European Union. In that context, it is essential that any legislation, such as that referred to by the Deputy, is enacted in an EU-wide framework and is applied equally to all transport undertakings across the EU.

As stated in my reply to a similar question last September, such legislation was enacted in 2005, on foot of an EU directive, to protect railway staff that provide information to the appropriate authority relevant to an investigation of a railway incident or of any risk to the railway. Similarly, regulations have recently been drafted, also on foot of an EU directive, to provide for a confidential reporting system in relation to occurrence reporting in civil aviation. It is expected that this measure will be transposed into Irish law in the near future. Any similar provisions agreed at European level in respect of other modes of transport will be transposed into Irish Law.

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