Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Nov 2002

Vol. 557 No. 4

Written Answers. - Safety at Sea.

Simon Coveney

Question:

82 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason there has not been a single inspection to enforce the Fishing Vessel (Personal Flotation Devices) Regulations signed into law in December 2001 requiring all crew members to wear a personal floatation device when on the exposed deck of a fishing vessel. [22423/02]

Damien English

Question:

93 Mr. English asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of inspections which have taken place to enforce legislation introduced over 12 months ago, to require fisherman on the deck of a vessel working at sea to wear a life jacket. [22427/02]

Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 93 together.

The Fishing Vessel (Personal Floatation Devices) Regulations – S.I. No. 586 of 2001 – were signed on 14 December 2001 and came into effect on 1 March 2002. My Department and BIM have been actively promoting the requirements of the regulations to ensure the fishing industry is fully aware of its obligations.

My Department issued a marine notice – No. 7 of 2002 – on 19 April 2002 giving guidance on the selection of personal floatation devices for use on board fishing vessels. The fishing organisations and other interested bodies were notified of the regulations and the regulations are also available on my Department's website. In July 2002, BIM also issued a brochure entitledSafe Fishing is no Accident, which outlines the requirement for fishermen to wear PFDs. In addition, fishermen participating in the basic safety train ing courses organised by BIM are introduced to the various types of PFDs available.

To date, while surveyors have not been visiting fishing vessels for the specific purpose of ensuring the wearing of PFDs, inspections in relation to PFDs currently take place as part of other survey functions on board fishing vessels. During each such inspection the surveyors have taken the opportunity to inform skippers and crews of the requirements of the regulations and to encourage them to comply for their own safety.

Undertaking inspections while a vessel is at sea inevitably presents particular difficulties and there is, therefore, an added onus on the skipper of each vessel to ensure that his crew comply with the regulations. In fact, under the regulations the responsibility rests with the skipper of a commercial vessel to take all reasonable steps to ensure that all crew members wear a personal floatation device when on the exposed deck of a vessel as vessels may be away at sea for long periods. If there is a contravention of regulations, the owner and skipper of a fishing vessel shall be guilty of an offence.

I recently sanctioned the recruitment of ten additional surveyors who are undergoing training at this time. My Department intends to use these to undertake a concentrated campaign to tackle all safety aspects of fishing vessel operations, including the wearing of PFDs. Furthermore, the whole area of inspection and enforcement is also being examined as part of my Department's review of safety measures currently under way which I announced on 13 August last. If skippers and crews are found to be failing to comply with the regulations then prosecutions will take place to ensure compliance in the interests of safety.