About Us

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) was established on 5 June, 2002 under Section 7(1) of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000. The legislative framework for the operation of the MCIB, the reporting and investigating of marine casualties and the powers of MCIB investigators, is set out in the Act of 2000 and  the European Communities (Merchant Shipping) (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 2011.

The Act defines what a marine casualty is, sets out the purpose of investigations, lays down the requirement for reporting a marine casualty, sets out when and how investigations are to be conducted, sets out the powers of the MCIB investigators when carrying out their investigation and indicates the timeframe to be adhered to in the investigation of marine casualties. In carrying out its functions the MCIB complies with the provisions of the International Maritime Organisation’s Casualty Investigation Code and EU Directive 2009/18/EC governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector. All Board members are engaged on a part-time basis.

The MCIB is an independent body with its own funding provided for by the Oireachtas under Section 19 of the Act.  The MCIB is independent of the Minister for Transport in the performance of its functions and, in general, shall be independent of any other person or body whose interests could conflict with the functions of the Board.

Code of Conduct

Click here to view the Code of Business Conduct for Board members and staff of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board.

Protected Disclosure Policy

Click here to view the Marine Casualty Investigation Board's Protected Disclosure Policy.