Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 4

Written Answers. - Safety at Sports Grounds.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

257 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the action taken by his Department to ensure that the recommendations of the code of practice for safety at sports grounds report were acted upon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25708/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

Safety at sports grounds is the responsibility, in the first instance, of those who organise events and those who own or administer the grounds or venues in which sports fixtures are held.

Issues related to crowd safety are governed by legislative provisions operating under the aegis of my colleagues, the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Health and Children and Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The voluntary code of practice for safety at sports grounds, published by the Department of Education in 1996, was prepared by a working party, chaired by a senior local authority official, which also included a senior garda, a chief fire officer, a local authority building surveyor and a local authority senior structural engineer. It is primarily for the guidance of organisers and ground administrators and has been widely distributed to sports organisations, gardaí, health boards, local authorities, event promoters, etc.

Local authorities, gardaí and health boards play a central and ongoing role, in assisting ground management to meet their responsibilities and may, in certain circumstances, have to insist on specific measures being taken in order to achieve reasonable standards of safety.