General Scheme of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2022

Following on from Government approval for the drafting of a Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill to provide for a full-time Marine Accident Investigation Unit within the Department of Transport, the General Scheme of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2022 and Regulatory Impact Analysis are available through the links below.

The General Scheme provides for the establishment of the Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) within the Department of Transport. The MAIU will replace the Marine Casualty Investigation Board as the permanent body responsible for marine accident investigation. The main focus of the Bill is to provide the MAIU with the necessary framework to ensure it can operate independently in its organisation, legal structure and decision-making of any party whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted to it. The General Scheme also provides rule making power for the Minister for Transport to make the necessary secondary legislation for the regulation of offshore service vessels and industrial personnel.