Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 10, line 8, after “experience” to insert the following: “including, but not be limited to, environmental expertise and expertise in search and rescue operations”.

The amendment relates to the investigations and investigators of incidents. It would specifically name environmental expertise and expertise in search and rescue operations as expertises that should be contained within the investigatory unit. It does not require that every individual investigator would have those expertises but given that we know some of the most important consequences of merchant shipping accidents may be related to the environmental impact, and given the concern that accidents may have consequences relevant in terms of search and rescue, these are areas of skill and expertise that should be contained within the unit. Whether or not the chief investigator has those explicit skills, the unit must be able to draw on them in this regard.