Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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245. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he plans to ensure that the regulations for the number of skippers aboard a fishing vessel and the qualifications of the skippers are aligned to the designation by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of all fishing vessels under 18 metres as “inshore”. [56602/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Fishing Vessels (Certification of Deck Officers and Engineer Officers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 313/2023) apply to fishing vessels of 15 metres in length overall and over. These regulations provide for the issuing of certificates of competency for Deck Officers and Engineer Officers for fishing vessels and the conditions that apply for the use of the certificates.

The European Union (International Labour Organisation Work in Fishing Convention) (Safe Manning) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 52/2024) apply to fishing vessels of 15 metres in length overall and over. These regulations provide for the safe manning of fishing vessels of 15 metres in length overall and over and oblige the owner of every relevant fishing vessel to secure a minimum safe manning document before proceeding to sea. The numbers and grades of certificates required on a safe manning document are agreed between my Department’s Marine Survey Office and the owner of the vessel in accordance with the applicable regulations to ensure the safety of the fishing vessels and their crews.

These are very important safety requirements and are separate from any commercial considerations in relation to sea fishing boat licensing, which licensing is provided for different purposes and is not safety related.