The heads of the Adventure Activities Standards Authority Bill, 2000 were approved by Government on 30 May 2000. Based on those heads, a draft Bill has now been prepared for publication. It is planned to submit the draft Bill to Government shortly and to publish the Bill before Christmas.
The draft Bill follows the principal recommendations of an interdepartmental working group established to examine adventure centres. It will provide a legislative framework to allow for the establishment of an independent adventure activities standards authority; mandatory registration of adventure centres and providers with the authority for specified activities; mandatory codes of safe operating practice for specified adventure activities; implementation of a regulatory scheme involving inspection of centres and providers for adherence to safety codes and powers for the authority to order cessation of the provision of any or all adventure activities in the case of failure to observe safety codes.
I hope the Oireachtas will commence consideration of the Bill early in the new year.