Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 December 2013
462. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the person in his Department who was aware of concerns about the effectiveness of emergency position indication radio beacons in use by Irish fishermen. [51514/13]
View answer463. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the date on which his Department was made aware of problems associated with the emergency position indication radio beacons in use by Irish fishermen. [51515/13]
View answer464. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the date on which his attention was drawn to the problems associated with the emergency position indication radio beacons in use by Irish fishermen and the immediate action he undertook. [51516/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 462 to 464, inclusive, together.
In July 2010, my Department contacted the supplier of a particular type of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, known as an EPIRB, seeking information on false alerts and potential battery failure because of concerns arising from possible tampering or improper battery replacement by vessel owners. In the ensuing examination, there was no suggestion that there might have been a defect within an EPIRB unit itself.
On 13 June 2013 a radio surveyor from my Department became aware of a defective EPIRB when carrying out a survey on a passenger ship. Shortly after that, two further EPIRBs from the same manufacturer were identified as defective. Following contacts with the manufacturer by my officials, the three units were sent to the company’s plant in Australia. A fourth unit was subsequently identified as being defective and it too was sent to the manufacturer in October 2013.
My Department engaged closely with the manufacturer and at the end of October the manufacturer informed my Department that an analysis had shown a micro processor within the unit to be defective. On 4 November the manufacturer then issued a formal safety alert advising all owners of the EPIRBs in question to undertake certain checks to confirm their equipment is working. My Department issued a Marine Notice on 11 November drawing the attention of Irish vessel owners and maritime stakeholders to the existence of the manufacturer’s safety notice and advising them to undertake the checks recommended by the manufacturer.
The Department also requested the Paris Memorandum of Understanding, the international organisation governing port state control throughout Europe, to promulgate the safety alert to other member states and also informed the European Commission. This represented a precautionary and expeditious approach by the Department, as we were the only country to initiate action regarding these particular EPIRBs.
I became aware of concerns regarding EPIRBs on 21 November 2013 and sought, and subsequently received, from my Department officials a detailed report on the matter. My Department will continue to examine EPIRBs on vessels as part of its normal surveying activities. Furthermore, as a precautionary measure, I have requested my Department to inform everyone on the EPIRB register of the relevant marine notice to emphasise the importance of undertaking the necessary periodic self-checks in line with manufacturer's recommendations.
