Ministerial Communications

Thursday, 5 March 2026

Questions (440)

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin

Question:

440. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17920/26]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Following the meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs on the 27th January 2026 to discuss the case of the Mary Kate vessel, I met personally with Mr. Gaffney and others on the 5th February.

At that meeting I outlined to Mr. Gaffney that the competent authority with regards to vessel safety in Ireland is the Marine Survey Office in the Department of Transport. I will share the concerns regarding the integrity of the certification process undertaken by the German authorities in respect of this particular vessel with Minister O'Brien, and explore whether these issues can be raised by Ireland with both the relevant German ministry and with DGMOVE.

I will bring this matter to the attention of Commissioner Costas Kadis shortly and I will raise Mr. Gaffney’s concerns during meetings with the German Minister and Dutch Minister at the earliest opportunity.