Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I fully concur with Senator Quinn's remarks and I appreciate the Leader allowing a debate yesterday on the Cawley report which covered the future of fishing in the country. I come from a coastal community and it a source of serious concern to me that, this year alone, at least eight vessels have sunk. It gave me no satisfaction last January to visit the widows of two victims of the cruel sea, and the incidents off the Waterford and Wexford coastline occurred owing to a type of perfect storm which saw appalling weather on the night in question.

Some vessels have experienced difficulties in relatively calm waters and, thankfully, many lives have been saved by the RNLI, helicopter rescue and so on. I do not seek another debate on the Cawley report but as Dr. Noel Cawley has agreed to oversee the implementation of the report on the future of fishing, perhaps he could also examine the issue of safety at sea. There are justifiably strict controls in this area and the annual and bi-annual checks on even small ferries travelling to the islands carrying eight or ten passengers are stringent. Millions of euro have been spent on new vessels and improving boats in Ireland, and the fishing industry, the Department and the Minister must re-examine the issue of safety at sea. Eight vessels have sunk off our coastline with the loss of seven lives, many other people have been saved, some at the last moment, and there is something radically wrong in 2007 if this must be the case.

I am not being judgmental regarding what happened last night because I do not have the facts. In this day and age vessels are obliged to carry radios, flares and other equipment so, following what Senator Quinn said, this is an area that should be examined in this House.