Marine Minister, Pat the Cope Gallagher T.D., today in Ballyshannon officially opened a new office of the Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources. The Ballyshannon office is a branch of the Marine Survey Office, a key part of the Department responsible for the implementation of all national and international legislation in relation to safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution from ship-based sources.
“Ballyshannon Harbour, overlooking Inis Saimer has been an important port, since its beginnings in prehistoric times. Settlers arrived during the stone, bronze and iron ages, attracted by the Erne Waterway. Later, Christian missionaries, Vikings, Normans, Gaelic Chieftains, Spanish Traders, plantation settlers and shipping merchants all traversed these waters. It is now the turn of the Marine Survey Office to add its name to this distinguished list,” said Pat the Cope.
There will be a total of eight staff in the office, six Surveyors and two administration staff, to support the day-to-day work of the Office. The ongoing work of the office will involve conducting safety inspections of vessels and approving designs and drawings for new vessels or modifications to existing vessels. It will also undertake increasingly important port state control inspections to ensure that, not just Irish ships but all vessels calling at Irish ports meet the highest international safety standards.
“As Minister responsible for the development of the Irish fishing industry, I am keenly aware of the important role that the Marine Survey Office plays in relation to safety in that industry. I think we can all be proud of improvements to safety standards on commercial fishing vessels, which I have seen achieved in my lifetime as a public representative. Ireland's fishing fleet now has significant numbers of vessels meeting best possible safety standards; this is good news for fishermen, for fishing crews and for their families ashore,” continued Minister Gallagher.
“Ballyshannon Harbour has long been a maritime gateway to the West and Northwest. It is particularly appropriate that today the marine surveyors now have a presence in this historic place to serve the mariners of the region,” concluded Pat the Cope.
ENDS