Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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207. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the State will ratify the 2012 Cape Town Agreement for Fishing Vessel Safety. [59222/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is strongly supportive of provisions that protect the safety of fishers at sea and intends to accede to the Cape Town Agreement (which relates to fishing vessels of greater than 24 metres in length) to help enhance fisher safety worldwide.

The EU has legislated for the safety of large fishing vessels greater than 24 metres in length through Directive 97/70/EC, as amended by Directive 2002/35/EC. Ireland transposed the Directives via S.I. 417 of 2002 and S.I. 418 of 2002. These remain the relevant Irish legislation in relation to the regulation of the construction standards, etc. of fishing vessels of greater than 24 metres.

My Department is working to ratify the Cape Town Agreement, mindful of the implications and practical implementation issues that will arise as a result of the administration of the Convention.