Galway Bay fm newsroom - The operation of Inis Oírr pier is criticised in a new report into an incident at the pier last year which left two ferry passengers in the water.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board says that despite owning the pier, Galway County Council has questionable safety or management procedures in place.
On June 6th of last year, the MV Rose of Aran was attempting to disembark passengers when the gangway separated from the pier fell into the water.
It was an extremely busy day due to the bank holiday - and up to 500 people were present as a man and woman subsequently fell from the gangway into the water.
The man could not swim and was rescued with a life ring, while the woman was helped by bystanders.
A report into the incident notes the stern line of the vessel had been attached to a pier bollard by a bystander, without crew supervision.
Shortly afterwards it came loose and was seen floating in the water.
An investigation found that this action was to blame for the drifting of the vessel that led to the accident - while the size of crowds on the day were also a contributory factor.
The report from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board calls into question the operation of Inis Oírr Pier by the council.
It notes that despite hundreds of passengers per day in the summer months, there are no by-laws in place, no persons employed to administer operations and no safety management plan for the harbour.
The report recommends that the council designs and implements a safety management system for all operations on Inis Oírr Pier and that the ferry company ensures that vessels are safely and securely moored.
