asked the Minister for Communications if, in view of the urgent necessity for an effective radio communications network to help improve maritime safety around the coast, a complete VHF network will be installed and commissioned as quickly as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

11.

asked the Minister for Communications if he has any proposals or plans to improve safety, navigational aids, and communication facilities in the coastal areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 11 together.

Measures to improve the standards for safety of life at sea are kept under review by my Department and changes introduced from time to time as resources permit to reflect changes in international practice, technological change or to rectify deficiencies which have come to light.

In recent years Ireland has ratified the two main safety conventions promoted by the International Maritime Organisation — the UN specialised agency responsible for safety at sea. The conventions, which have been given full effect in domestic legislation, are the 1974 Convention on Safety of Life at Sea known as SOLAS which governs the safe construction and equipping of boats, and the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978 which governs the standards of the personnel who work on Irish ships.

In relation to the sea fishing industry, a useful recent innovation was the introduction in January 1985 of a requirement by my Department that candidates for certificates of competency for fishing vessels must first complete a basic sea survival course. About 200 successful candidates have qualified since that time. On the communications front I fully recognise the valuable contribution which marine VHF communications facilities can make to improving the safety of life at sea and considerable progress has in fact been made in recent years in this area.

A VHF station was built in County Donegal and commissioned in 1983. This station, which is remotely controlled from Malin Head Coast Radio Station, provides full cover from west of Tory Island along the northern coastline of Donegal, eastward and northward towards the Scottish coast.

Two new VHF stations were commissioned early in 1985, one each in Counties Cork and Kerry. The stations are remotely controlled from Valentia Coast Radio Station and between them provide distress, safety and public correspondence communications over an area of coastline stretching from Loop Head to Seven Heads near Kinsale. In addition, a trial station has been brought into operation at Dublin Airport which provides for emergency and distress communications over the coast from Carlingford Lough to Wicklow Head. Extension of the system to other areas in the State will be considered in the light of the financial resources available from time to time.

I should begin by disclosing an interest in this matter. With regard to the particular matter of a radio communications network could I ask the Minister would he not accept that such a network on the west coast in particular is absolutely essential from the point of view of maritime safety? In fact it distresses me a little to hear him say — I think he used the words in this reply —"make a contribution toward". Would he not agree, if we are serious about marine safety, particularly in so far as our fishing fleet is concerned, that an adequate, complete and comprehensive radio network along the coast is essential? Furthermore, would he agree that this matter has been very tragically underlined for us all by the frequency of tragedies which have occurred vis-à-vis our fishing fleet along that coast even in very recent times?

The Deputy's interest in this matter is well known. I certainly very much appreciate his comments in relation to what is needed in this respect. He can be assured that there has been progress made in providing a radio communications network around the coast. It would be my ambition that we reach a stage as soon as possible of having full coastal cover in radio communications. While I do not think there is any significant risk to safety at present it would be better that we have such a system. Certainly I share the Deputy's ambition that all of our coasts be covered.