No prosecutions are planned in relation to the abandonment of 13 periwinkle pickers on an island off the east coast in November, the Dáil has been told.
The mainly Latvian workers were rescued from Colt Island, off Skerries in north Dublin, at around 10pm on Saturday, November 5th last.
It was reported they had been expecting to be picked up earlier that evening, after completing their day's work. They received a phone call telling them the boat that was due to pick them up was experiencing engine trouble and that they would have to stay on the uninhabited island for the night.
Following a call from one of those stranded, the RNLI lifeboat in Skerries brought the group ashore.
An investigation has failed to uncover sufficient evidence to mount a prosecution, Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen has told the Dáil.
In reply to a question from Labour TD Liz McManus, Mr Killeen said a labour inspector had interviewed the boat owner concerned as well as two of the Latvian shellfish gatherers.
However, it had not been possible to establish any detail of an employment relationship and the Latvian interviewees had made no complaint.
It also appeared that no complaints had been received by the Latvian embassy in Dublin, Mr Killeen said.
In the absence of evidence of noncompliance with employment legislation, the labour inspectorate did not propose referring the matter to the prosecution unit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. "In the event that new information comes to light, the inspectorate will, of course, consider what further action, if any, is appropriate," Mr Killeen said.
