| The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) |
- Is the national body in Ireland with overall responsibility for securing health and safety at all places of work.
- We monitor compliance with health and safety legislation at the workplace and can take enforcement action (up to and including prosecutions).
- Under Irish Occupational Health and Safety law, fishing vessels are classified as places of work.
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| The Irish Maritime Administration (IMA) |
- Is a division of the Department of Transport and was previously known as the Maritime Safety Directorate. The IMA consists of the Marine Survey Office (MSO), the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG), Policy and Legislation, Ports and the Maritime Services Division.
- Within the IMA, the MSO fulfils the role of the Maritime Transport Safety Regulator for Ireland and monitors and enforces maritime legislation.The remit of the MSO covers the safety, security, pollution prevention and living and working conditions on board all types of vessels including fishing vessels. The office carries out the initial approval of designs and drawings for new vessels or modifications to existing vessels and carries out the surveys necessary for the relevant certification of vessels. The MSO also manages the certification of all fishing vessel crews and issues certificates of competency to fishermen.
- The IMA also issue Marine Notices (which you can sign up for) many of which are important to fishing.
- The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) is Ireland’s nationwide maritime emergency organisation.
- See the Maritime section of the Department of Transport.
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| Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) |
- Is the Seafood Development Agency and provides training in safety at sea and in a range of navigation and safety skills.
- Courses are delivered through BIM’s two dedicated training colleges in Castletownbere and Greencastle and via its Coastal Training Units.
- See: BIM Fisheries and Training Sections.
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| The Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) |
- The Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) carries out Ireland’s statutory marine accident investigations, taking over from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) from 1st January 2026.
- The MAIU will conduct marine safety investigations into accidents involving vessels in Irish waters and Irish-flagged vessels anywhere in the world. It is not the purpose of a marine safety investigation to attribute fault or blame. The purpose of the marine safety investigation is to establish the cause of a marine accident that it investigates and make safety recommendations.
- See: www.maiu.gov.ie
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| The RNLI |
- Provide, on call, a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service around Ireland and also provide fishing safety advice.
- See: http://rnli.org
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