Vol. 535 No. 4
77 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources when he expects to publish the promised legislation for mandatory safety training and the mandatory wearing of safety devices for fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12806/01]
As I indicated to the House in reply to a parliamentary question on 21 March last, legislation which will see the introduction of mandatory training and mandatory wearing of suitable flotation devices for fishermen will be put in place following a consultation process with the fishing industry. The implementation of the mandatory training initiative is a major undertaking and will take time. My Department, in conjunction with BIM, is finalising the details of the proposed training scheme and it is expected that the proposals will be circulated to the fishing industry representative organisations for their views and comments during May. My Department requested the views of the fishing industry on its proposals for the mandatory wearing of personal flotation devices on 28 March 2001 and responses are awaited. When the views of the fishing industry are received and considered the necessary Statutory Instruments will be prepared.
