Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
299. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport the oversight procedures for ensuring Irish fishing vessels are seaworthy and safe; the bodies responsible for conducting inspections of sea vessels; the number of inspections conducted for each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71938/25]
View answerThe responsibility for ensuring the safety of fishing vessels rests in the first instance with the owner of the fishing vessel who is responsible to ensure the safety of the vessel and its crew. The Master or skipper is also responsible for ensuring the safety of the vessel and its crew and should not proceed to sea in a vessel which is not seaworthy and must ensure that all operations are carried out safely.
In addition to these legal responsibilities on the owner and skipper, Irish fishing vessels are subject to a safety regime which addressed the three main classes of fishing vessels. These are fishing vessels of less than 15m length overall, fishing vessels between 15m and 24m in length and fishing vessels 24m in length and over. Considering each of these groupings as follows:
Fishing vessels of less than 15 m length overall are required to comply with the Code of Practice for the Design, Construction, Equipment and Operation of Small Fishing Vessels of less than 15 metres Length overall. My Department oversees this Code of Practice and appoints private surveyors to a panel to carry out periodical surveys for compliance with the Code, which was last updated in 2022 and is under constant review Copies of the Code and details of the surveyors appointed to the panel are available online at [Code of Practice for Fishing Vessels less than 15 metres in length overall].
Irish fishing vessels of between 15m length overall and less than 24m registered length are required to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15-24 Metres) Regulations 2007 and be issued with a Fishing Vessel Safety Certificate. Periodical surveys are carried out by the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport, prior to the issue or endorsement of a certificate.
Irish fishing vessels of 24m registered length and over are required to comply with the European Communities (Safety of Fishing Vessels) Regulations 2002 and the Fishing Vessels (Safety Provisions Regulations 2002 which give effect to Council Directive 97/70/EC of 11 December 1997 setting up a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over. The International Maritime Organisation’s Torremolinos Protocol is given effect in the EU by Council Directive 97/70 as amended. Periodical surveys are carried out by the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport, prior to the issue or endorsement of a certificate.
The Marine Survey Office (MSO) of my Department carries out compliance inspections on all sizes of fishing vessels throughout each year and may take enforcement actions requiring rectification of non-compliance within a specified time, detention of a vessel in port or prosecution of the owner and skipper. The MSO also follows up on all reported incidents and accidents on fishing vessels.
The safety levels of the Irish fleet has shown positive trends and figures published by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) in their Annual Report for 2024 record zero fatalities in 2024, three in 2023, zero in 2022 and zero in 2021. Despite this safety profile the safety of fishing vessels remains a key priority and will continue to receive the attention which it deserves.
Available figures are included below for inspections carried out in recent years. As the MSO transitioned to a new task management system recently, figures are not available for 2021 or 2022. However, inspections in these years would have been at a minimum due to the Covid pandemic restrictions.
|
Year |
Over 15 Meters |
Under 15 Meters |
Total Inspections |
|
2025 |
149 |
398 |
547 |
|
2024 |
167 |
404 |
571 |
|
2023 |
197 |
331 |
528 |
|
2022 |
Not Available |
227 |
227 |
|
2021 |
Not Available |
448 |
448 |
|
Total |
513 |
1808 |
2321 |
|
Registered Fleet |
173 |
1773 |
1946 |
