Cecilia Keaveney
Question:51 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the position in relation to the introduction of mandatory training for fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3384/01]
Written Answers. - Marine Safety.
I announced on 28 January that I intended to put in place new legislation which will see the introduction of mandatory safety training for fishermen in Ireland. I believe the time has now come and that the capacity is now in place to introduce mandatory safety training for the fishing industry. Safety training and the adoption of a strong personal safety culture are vital to protect the lives of fishing crews.
Detailed arrangements are in the course of being made by my Department, in consultation with the statutory agencies, to prepare for the introduction of the new measure. Consideration will have to be given to many logistical issues such as: how many fishermen will require training; how will the training be phased and over what period; how will the training be financed; where will the training be given and by whom; what elements need to be covered in the training course; how long the training course will be; how will it be verified that training has taken place and where will the onus lie at the level of the fishing enterprise for ensuring that training requirements are met.
All these issues will be the subject of consultation with the representative organisations in the fishing industry in due course. The aim is to complete the consultation process by the end of April. The implementation of this initiative is a major undertaking and will take time. I am particularly determined, however, that early progress should be made in respect of basic survival at sea training for new entrants to the fishing industry.