Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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163. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the protocols for ferry services from the mainland to the islands when reporting by radio to the Irish Coast Guard stations the numbers of passengers being carried by passage prior to departure. [59822/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The regulatory requirements for registration of persons onboard passenger ships operating on domestic voyages do not prescribe mandatory reporting to the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG). The European Union (Registration of Persons Sailing on board Passenger Ships) Regulations 2019 require that such information must be lodged ashore with a passenger registrar, responsible for the transmission of information on persons who have embarked on a company passenger ship. In case of an emergency, this information is made available to the IRCG. New requirements for reporting are due to take effect by 20/12/23, whereby this information must either be submitted directly to the SafeSeasIreland web portal or be promulgated via a vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS).

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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164. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to breaches in a protocol (details supplied); the oversight on reporting; the body that has responsibility for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59823/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The regulatory requirements for registration of persons onboard passenger ships operating on domestic voyages do not prescribe mandatory reporting to the IRCG.

The European Union (Registration of Persons Sailing on board Passenger Ships) Regulations 2019 require that such information must be logged ashore with a passenger registrar, responsible for the transmission of information on persons who have embarked on a company passenger ship.

In case of an emergency, this information is made available to the IRCG. New requirements for reporting are due to take effect by 20/12/23, whereby this information must either be submitted directly to the SafeSeasIreland web portal or be promulgated via a vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS).

All seafarers including ferry operators are encouraged to communicate voyage details to Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Sub-Centres at Malin Head and Valentia and the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre at Dublin. This information can assist the Coast Guard in coordinating incidents or emergencies including compilation of data with regard to overdue reports. IRCG policy is to remind all vessels on passage to transmit voyage reports via their nearest coastal radio station.