email editor
The Óireachtas Joint Committee on Public Petitions heard CJ Gaffney’s Justice and Safety Petition relating to the fishing vessel ‘Mary Kate’ WD 30
The Óireachtas Joint Committee on Public Petitions heard CJ Gaffney’s petition relating to the fishing vessel ‘Mary Kate’ WD-30, he and his family purchased in 2007.
The Committee heard that CJ Gaffney has two requests. One, which called on the Government to compensate him for his financial losses resulting from the purchase of the ‘Mary Kate and subsequent defects that were uncovered, the cost of repairing those defects and the legal costs incurred by the Arklow fisherman. And the second, for an official investigation into all aspects of the case on how such a dangerous vessel was accepted by and passed suitably stable, which allowed it to be issued with valid sailing certification, and how the vessel was accepted onto the Irish Register and issued with a fishing licence by the Marine Survey Office.
Fishing vessel are not covered within the Single Market legislation and Mr Gaffney has asked that the EU and Irish Government to create legislation to close the loopholes which discriminates against vessel owners of fishing vessels under 24-metres in overall length.
The beam trawler ‘Mary Kate’ WD-30 which is the concern of the Justice and Safety Petition
On the Petition, the Committee Cathaoirleach, Deputy Martin Browne said:
“The updated information is that the petitions case manager, correspondent Mr. Mark Gryphon, Secretary General, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine on 02 of May 2023, we received a reply on 07 of June 2023.
“In the reply, Mr. Gryphon recommended that the Department of Transport be contacted and in respect of the Maritime Safety Directorate.
“The Committee recommends that the correspondence from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine be forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days. The Department of Transport to be contacted, as advised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine to seek the views of development in relation to the petitioner’s concerns.
“Once we’ve have received an examined both responses, the Committee may decide to refer the petition to the EU Commissioner for Maritime and Fisheries to look at this issue at a European level and maybe close any loopholes or any further recipients.
“This was discussed at our private meeting yesterday and I suppose our hands are tied at the minute until we get a reply from the petitioner and a reply back from the Department of Transport.”
Responding to the Joint Committee’s decision yesterday, CJ Gaffney said that he was disappointed, and he felt that they were being put back around the houses again after already having been sent back and forth between the Department of Transport and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He said he could see little value in sending it back to the Commissioner after the Commission clearly cited that this was the responsibility of the Irish government.
