Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address this issue today. Currently all Irish-registered fishing vessels are required to be fitted with emergency indicating position beacons, EPIRBs. All fishing vessels over 12 m in length must carry an automatically activating float-free EPIRB and vessels less than 12 m length overall only have to carry a manually operated EPIRB. Officials from my Department are examining, in conjunction with Bord Iascaigh Mhara, issues relating to the carriage of personal locator beacons by fishermen as an enhancement to existing measures.

Arising from discussions last week, further work is being done by my officials in conjunction with BIM officials who work under the auspices of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, on initiatives to enhance the safety of Irish fishing vessels. As a first priority, it is intended to incentivise the provision of automatic float-free GPS-enabled EPIRB beacons for all fishing vessels. This will address a key safety recommendation made in a number of Marine Casualty Investigation Board reports into the loss of fishing vessels, where such a vessel beacon could have contributed significantly to rescue efforts.

A second priority will be to encourage the use of personal locator beacons for fishermen on all Irish-registered fishing vessels. These personal locator beacons are designed and operated in accordance with recognised international standards and will be required to be registered with the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. It is intended that my Department will take measures with a view to making the provision of personal locator beacons and vessel beacons mandatory under appropriate legislation and my Department's code of practice for the safety of fishing vessels less than 15 m. In implementing this initiative on personal locator beacons, provision will be made for maximum flexibility to allow for whether such beacons are separate from, or integrated into lifejackets.

I cannot emphasise enough the importance of wearing lifejackets at all times on the water. Statutory requirements on the wearing of lifejackets and personal flotation devices on fishing vessels are set out in the Fishing Vessel (Personal Flotation Devices) Regulations 2001 as amended by the Fishing Vessel (Personal Flotation Devices)(Amendment) Regulations 2008. Under the regulations, every fishing vessel is required to carry a suitable personal flotation device for every person on board. The personal flotation device shall be worn at all times by the crew of the fishing vessel, when on the exposed deck of the vessel or, in the case of open undecked vessels, on board the vessel, whether at sea, in harbour or coming to and from moorings.

Furthermore, the regulations require that the skipper of a fishing vessel shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that all crewmembers wear a personal flotation device in accordance with the regulations. The Merchant Shipping Act 1992 provides that if there is a contravention of these regulations, the owner and, if the vessel is in use, the master of the vessel are each guilty of an offence and each is liable on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding ¤5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both.

The requirement for a personal flotation device to be available on-board for all crewmembers is checked as part of the safety surveys that all commercial fishing vessels are required to undertake. The requirements for the wearing of personal flotation devices are also communicated to fishermen during these surveys. In addition, guidance on the selection of personal flotation devices for use on board fishing vessels is conveyed through the issuing of marine notices from my Department.

A final important element of an integrated safety technology package for vessel beacons and for personal locator beacons will be a link to training. My Department is working with BIM to develop appropriate training and refresher training to enable fishermen to gain maximum benefit from these technological enhancements to personal safety in the fishing industry. It is expected to implement the new integrated package on a phased basis as part of the existing BIM fleet safety scheme.