Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The safety of all fishing vessels, with the safety of merchant ships, passenger vessels and leisure craft, is the responsibility of my Department, chiefly through the work of the Marine Survey Office which oversees the survey and certification of vessels in accordance with the relevant international and domestic legislation. All fishing vessels, regardless of size, are required to carry a satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacon, EPIRB, appropriate to their size and the sea area in which they operate.

Fishing vessels over 24 m are surveyed in accordance with the provisions of the International Maritime Organisation's Torremolinos protocol, which was given effect in the European Union by Council Directive 97/70, as amended. Fishing vessels between 15 and 24 metres are surveyed in accordance with the provisions of regulations introduced by my predecessor in 2007. These regulations, the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15-24 Metres) Regulations 2007 - SI 640 of 2007 - enhance the safety of fishing vessels and their crew in the 15 to 24 metre category. With regard to fishing vessels of less than 15 metres, my Department published a code of practice for the design, construction, operation and equipment of small fishing vessels in 2004. The code sets minimum standards of safety for these smaller vessels to protect all persons on board. The code is in accordance with best international practice and covers vessel design, construction, machinery, safety equipment and stability issues.

Prior to the introduction of the code, the Department undertook an extensive consultation process with fishing industry representatives and Bord lascaigh Mhara, BIM. For any fishing vessel, the issue of a fishing licence by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is contingent on full compliance with the relevant regulatory requirements, be that regulation or code. Chapter 9 of the code for small fishing vessels outlines the requirements of the Fishing Vessel (Radio Installation) Regulations 1998, which require, at a minimum, the appropriate VHF radio installations and a satellite EPIRB. Larger fishing vessels, or those operating in more open waters, are required to carry additional items of radio equipment to ensure adequate means of emergency communication and to aid location of the vessel by emergency services, if required.

The MCIB has recommended that all fishing vessels carry automatically activated float free EPIRBs and the issue of personal locator beacons, PLBs, for crew members has been recommended for examination. PLBs are portable radio transmitters carried by each crew member which, when used correctly, aid the search and rescue emergency services in the detection and location of persons in distress. These devices transmit on a radio frequency and must be programmed with the specific Irish country code and registered with ComReg to ensure their effectiveness in an emergency. My Department has been working with both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and BIM on the legislative and financial supports for a series of maritime safety measures focused on the fishing community, including the mandatory use of automatically activated float free EPIRBs and PLBs. This has involved significant complex work, which is nearing completion.

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