Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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1148. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if provisions are in place to allow holders of BIM lifejackets to take these jackets off the boats they were originally registered to; if not, if such provisions can be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19314/17]

Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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1149. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the requirements for acquiring a BIM lifejacket can be amended to allow for the acquisition of a jacket without being first assigned to a boat in view of the fact that fishing vessels require persons to have a BIM jacket but that a jacket cannot be acquired until a person is assigned to a boat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19315/17]

Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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1150. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if steps will be put in place to ensure that BIM lifejackets unique to the person that acquired them will be kept with them should that person be fired from their employment on a certain boat in view of the fact that at the moment those lifejackets are kept by the owner of the boat and not the person the jacket is registered to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19316/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1148 to 1150, inclusive, together.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara operates a Fleet Safety Scheme and an Enhanced Safety Scheme with Exchequer funding from my Department.

The Fleet Safety Scheme provides grant aid to the owners of registered fishing vessels for the purchase and installation of safety items, including statutory lifesaving, fire-fighting, navigation and communication equipment listed in the Scheme brochure.  This includes life jackets, personal flotation devices and personal locator beacons (non-integrated).  Grant aid is a maximum of 60% of eligible costs for vessels under 12 metres and 40% for other vessels, with  maximum amounts of aid specified for different size vessels.

The Enhanced Safety Scheme provides a one-day training course designed to provide skippers and crew of registered fishing vessels with up-to-date training in personal survival techniques, fist-aid, fire-prevention and health and safety in the workplace.  The owner of a registered fishing vessel applies for this training in respect of his or her skipper and crew and pays a fee for each individual.  The owner receives, for each course participant, a voucher to cover the full cost from designated outlets of a personal flotation device (PFD) with integrated personal locator beacon for use by the skipper or crew member while on board.  The fee paid covers a portion of the cost of the PFD and the provision of the PFD is equivalent to a grant to the vessel owner of 40% to 60%, depending on vessel size.  The PFD remains the property of the vessel owner, as he or she was the grant applicant and paid for the balance of the cost through the course fee.  If the vessel owner disposes of the PFD within 5 years, he or she must refund BIM the value of the grant.

Any skipper or crew member moving to a different vessel should be provided by the vessel owner with a PFD.  Where necessary, the vessel owner should apply to BIM through the Enhanced Safety Scheme for a training and a new PFD for the individual concerned.  A PFD may also be re-registered to the crew member's new vessel by agreement between the vessel owners.