Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister must know where Sinn Féin stands on this Bill. We have articulated the position repeatedly over recent months and days. I am disappointed that our amendments have been ruled out of order, but so be it. I am more disappointed that the Minister did not table similar amendments. We firmly believe that now is the opportunity to get the area of marine casualty investigations right.

There is a long and sorry history of missed opportunities, whether it be in the 1998 report, the 2010 Róisín Lacey report or the 2020 Clinch report. We have the Róisín Lacey report. It explains clearly what needed and needs to be done. Instead, the State defended the indefensible at a European court and, as expected, failed.

We have deep concerns about the fact the Bill does not go further. As I said on Committee Stage, we hear the commitments from the Minister to publish the Clinch report at the end of quarter 1. There is a big question mark over that. It is subject to approval by the Attorney General. There is a further commitment to deliver the substantive legislation that has been called for across the political spectrum. Again, there is a huge question mark over that in terms of its being subject to approval by Cabinet.

There are clear weaknesses in marine casualty investigation in Ireland. This was the legislation that could have resolved it. We had 18 months to get it right but the Minister has not got it right and has not taken the opportunity to give cast-iron guarantees in this legislation that, within a given timeframe, he would deliver the necessary reforms. In that context, we cannot support the Bill.

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