Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue. I have been asked to point out that the matter, although important in the area of fisheries, is not the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is lead on the International Labour Organization, ILO, and the Department of Transport would be central on the specific issue of ratification of that particular ILO convention given that Department's lead responsibility for maritime safety, manning and working hours on board fishing vessels.

The Work in Fishing Convention, C. 188, was adopted at the 96th session of the International Labour Conference in June of 2007 and entered into force in November of 2017. It aims to ensure decent conditions of work in fishing with regard to minimum requirements for work on board, conditions of service, food and accommodation, occupational safety and health protection, medical care and social security.

Ireland supports the convention and must bring it into force via national primary legislation. A provision will be included in the merchant shipping (international conventions) Bill, which will allow the Minister for Transport to make regulations to fulfil the State's commitments under the Work in Fishing Convention. The general scheme for this Bill is currently in preparation.

In the meantime, Council Directive EU 2017/159 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This directive contains a social partnership agreement, completed on 21 May 2012, which aims to implement the Work in Fishing Convention. This directive was transposed into Irish law in full in 2020 by way of several regulations. The regulations covered issues such as manning, hours of work and rest, minimum age, medical examinations, medical care on board, fishing vessel owner liability and repatriation, crew lists, fisherman work agreements, food and accommodation. It applies to all fishermen working under contract abroad an Irish-registered fishing vessel and share-fishermen when working along with fishermen under contract.

The Department of Transport will continue to progress work on the merchant shipping (international conventions) Bill in order to formally ratify the provisions of the ILO Work in Fishing Convention in the near future.

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue.

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