David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that, as per the Minister of State's reply, the Minister and Department intend to introduce legislation which will make personal locator and vessel beacons mandatory and further to introduce a code of practice for the safety of fishing vessels of less than 15 metres, which is a significant improvement in terms of where we were on this six months ago. It is hoped the relevant legislation will be brought forward as quickly as possible.

These devices work in depths of up to 22 metres. Some of the bodies found on, for example, the Tit Bonhomme were down about 12 m, which shows that these devices can save lives. The Minister will have the support of Sinn Féin and, I am sure, of all other public and elected representatives in terms of the introduction of any legislation to make these devices mandatory. This is about saving lives and ensuring people who earn a living, often in dangerous situations, are properly protected. The introduction of the proposed measures would be a huge step forward for the industry. I welcome the moves being made in this area.