I recently signed into law new water safety regulations aimed at Ireland's growing marine leisure sector as part of my campaign continuously to improve safety on water this summer.
I consider the wearing of lifejackets by everybody on board small pleasure craft is now an essential element in staying safe on the water. It is now compulsory for everyone on board a pleasure craft of less than seven metres, 23 feet, in length to wear a lifejacket-personal floatation device.
The new regulations, which are titled the Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Craft) (Lifejackets and Operation) (Safety) Regulations 2004, have immediate effect. They encompass all types of pleasure craft regardless of the means of propulsion, and for the first time ever it is also compulsory for all children up to the age of 16 years to wear a lifejacket while on board a pleasure craft.
On the enforcement of the new regulation, the Coastguard, officers of the maritime safety directorate of my Department and the Garda have a major role to play. To assist in this process, over recent weeks two Coastguard vessels were deployed at Howth and Crosshaven as major boating activity areas in the country. Other vessels will be deployed on a random basis around the coastline during the coming months to promote safety awareness, including the wearing of lifejackets. I have also called on all organisations involved in water based activities to promote the wearing of lifejackets in accordance with the new regulations.
The new regulations have been widely welcomed and monitoring to date has shown a high level of compliance. However, I will look to expanding the policing capacity on water if there are significant levels of non-compliance. The public too have a key role to play by taking personal responsibility for their own safety through wearing lifejackets and taking other sensible safety precautions when undertaking water based leisure activities. As it is compulsory for all children up to the age of 16 years to wear a lifejacket while on board a pleasure craft, parents too have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that children wear lifejackets at all times.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
As part of its ongoing programme of enforcement of safety rules and vessel licensing conditions, the maritime safety directorate will continue to carry out a campaign of operational safety inspections on passenger ships and boats this summer. These inspections, including unannounced checks, will be undertaken around the country in relation to vessels at sea and on inland waters to determine compliance with licensing requirements. Licence conditions relating to manning levels, the maximum passenger numbers allowed and the continued availability of safety equipment are among the issues on which the inspectors will focus.
In addition, my Department, as part of its safety awareness programme, will undertake an intensive public safety awareness campaign across the summer months on the radio and through other media, focusing on the wearing of lifejackets for all water based activities.