Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

All of us are acutely aware, as members of the committee, of the importance of this Bill. It should be put on the record of the House that there has been extensive consultations on this Bill. I thank Michael Kingston for his engagement with us. I ask Members to read the report on pre-legislative scrutiny and the heads of the Bill from the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. All of us have an overarching aim to improve safety and ensure that reform takes place.

I have a one-dimensional ask of the Minister of State who has, to be fair to, been receptive. There has been a lot of engagement at briefings with Members from the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State. The primary thing is that the investigative board is independent and not beholden to vested interests. I will not go back over other sections because the Acting Chair will not let me to do so.

The report of the committee on the heads of the Bill contains recommendations. Some have been taken on board by Government and others have not.The Minister, to be fair to him, speaks about further legislation and the need for further safeguards and reform. I ask that, when we come back here again, the Court of Justice of the European Union judgment is one that we should look at. Senator Boyhan speaks about the cost and the need to go there. We must learn. In this case, the outcomes are predominantly about the lives of people. It is about saving lives, protecting and preserving lives and ensuring that the men and women who work in the maritime area are looked after by us in this legislation.

I hope the comments of Senator Boyhan are wrong regarding the suggestion that it will take us forever to get back, and I hope we do not do that. I thank the Minister for his engagement. The committee did a lot of work on this. Senator Boyhan is right that Michael Kingston is a very brave person. I am assured by the Minister of State's comments tonight that this is the first step, an intermediate step, that reform is coming and that this is part of the reform process. I have a fundamental fear, although I do not mean to be offensive in this remark, that civil servants are taking control in places and are pushing away different expertise, not in the context of this Bill but across the board. I hope we do not see this happen. I will not go back over the Bill, partly because the Chair will not let me. However, I will return to that point on Report Stage. I am reassured by the Minister of State's comments today but Senator Boyhan's comment that we should not be here again in two years time is one that we should take note of as well.