WATER & MARITIME ISSUES
Each speech listed here is an edited speech. If you'd like to see the speech or debate in full, please go to the Oireachtas website and click on "Seanad Eireann" and then "Seanad Debates" and click on the relevant date as listed with each speech on this page.
Coast Guard Stations (27/02/08)
Control of Water Resources (21/12/07)
Marine Rescue Stations – Malin and Valentia (05/12/07)
Water Services Bill 2003 (01/05/07)
Maritime Safety Bill 2004 (04/05/05)
Maritime Safety Bill 2004 (20/04/05)
Coast Guard Stations
27/02/08) - I consider this proposal to be an absolute outrage against the west coast. It constitutes yet another denuding of support, infrastructure and tradition from rural Ireland. However, whatever the economic rights and wrongs of this proposal, it is wrong socially and in every other way.
I know both Malin and Valentia. A lovely new school has been located on the north side of Malin on the way towards Malin Head, which will lose numbers as a result of this measure. Every time one removes something from any small parish in the west, a ripple effect takes place throughout the community and everyone suffers in some way. Moreover, this is of great cultural significance and the points made by the previous speakers were highly impactful.
I am an offshore member of the RNLI and if I am sitting in Dursey Sound and wondering whether to stick my nose out into Kenmare Bay or to venture along the coast as far as Valentia, I would like to know that the person who speaking to me from Valentia is able to say what the swell is like, what kind of wind is blowing, whether there are many white tops in front of him or her or what is the story. Alternatively, if I am offshore and wish to get into Portmagee around Bray Head, I want someone who knows every inch of the area to be able to tell me it is a bit rough today, a south-westerly is blowing up and it is dangerous and difficult. Anyone from any place from the south-west to Malin who has ever suffered a night waiting for a lost boat to make contact and return home knows that the dependency on Malin and Valentia was an integral part of how we grew up. We grew up listening to old ships’ radios and while matters obviously have advanced since then, in the old days everyone tuned into channel 16 and listened to the marine services. These services are always present and know every inch of the region.
Above all however, this is decentralisation turned on its head. What is being done is completely wrong. Anything that is removed from such a community ultimately causes suffering for all. Members do not wish to see such developments happening. This is a bigger issue that pertains to regionalisation, decentralisation and saving the west. It resembles the thinking underlying the opening of the Atlantic highway from Derry to Limerick and beyond and is similar to opening the western rail corridor. It pertains to those issues and forms part and parcel of an interdependency of infrastructures and community in those areas.
This development is happening before Members’ eyes. Last year, half of the Members of the Oireachtas more or less mentally cheered when the salmon fisheries were closed. While I know there were good reasons for decommissioning one third of the fishing fleet, if matters continue in this fashion there will be nothing left in the west. It will be like turning out the lights on rural Ireland. Every week another decision is made which takes more from that area. Members should be sufficiently brave and responsible to acknowledge that it will cost more to invest in the west of Ireland and that there is inequality of investment in such regional areas. What is happening in Malin and Valentia at present is a step backwards and I ask the Government to withdraw its position in this regard.
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Control of Water Resources
21/12/07 - I wish to bring to the attention of the House a matter arising from the issue we discussed recently, the schools water charges. The bills are being sent out by well-known companies. I have been a Member of this House for 20 years and I cannot remember the House ever deciding to privatise our water or to give our water away to companies. My colleague, Senator Ross, has referred time and again to the mistakes made more than 20 years ago when control over the toll bridges was handed over to NTR. I have some news for the House; NTR is a 50% owner of the company Celtic Anglian Water, which is supplying water to the Connemara Gaeltacht. Now that NTR has been paid off by an eventual €0.75 billion to allow the traffic to run free in Dublin, it is locking onto the water in Connemara and in other places.
I am concerned about who controls our water. When did we give it away? These companies are working for large profits and that is really the reason for the large bills. If large profits are being supported by large bills from companies such as the ones which run the Luas, the toll roads or which are now taking control of our water, there is a serious question for every politician of all sides and views to discuss. I do not want us in 20 or 30 years’ time having to buy back control from these contracts that are being given out currently unseen. This is privatisation by stealth and people do not like that aspect of it.
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Marine Rescue Stations – Malin and Valentia
05/12/07 - There have been many emotional discussions and debates about the merits of centralisation and decentralisation. In light of the agreement of all parties on the merits of decentralisation, it is unacceptable that there is a proposal before the Government at present to close the marine rescue stations in Malin and Valentia. It is appalling that we should do this. It shows a lack of understanding of the needs of seafarers. It is a classic ignorant east coast approach to a western issue. Anyone who has come through Dursey Sound or the Blasket Sound knowing that the Valentia rescue centre is within sight will know what I mean. It is not just about technology or radar screens. It is about hundreds of years of lore. It is about people who know the size of the swell two days after the waves have gone, who know the sounds of Sceilig Mhichíl agus Sceilig Bheag and can tell one from the other.
This action is appalling. It takes away from these two places. I do not know whether people know Malin Head and Valentia Island, but there is not a lot of work around and not much happening. The idea of taking away employment in those areas is unacceptable. This is an all-party issue. The Minister should be told it is just not on. It is wrong and flies in the face of all we need. It was ironic that this hit the news yesterday when Malin station had just co-ordinated the rescue attempt for the Kennedy family in Inver in Donegal. The House should take a clear line on this and indicate that the closure is unacceptable. I would like the Minister to come to the House and discuss this so that we may explain to him that this is about more than technology and data. There is also a cost issue. The buildings and personnel are in place and any upgrading required can be done while retaining both stations.
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Water Services Bill 2003
01/05/07 - I listened to a most heated and energetic debate at the INTO Annual Congress this year on that issue. The Minister has met representatives of the educational communities at local level who have pointed out to him how inadequate are their grants to meet the demands on them in terms of different local authority charges. I am not opposed to local authority charges in a general sense but it is quite unfair that they are used at school level. In the event of schools having to pay charges to local authorities, could they not be allowed to recoup those charges from the State? There should be no difficulty about that since it would not require a change in the law. The State should recognise the difficulty for schools and give those running primary and post-primary schools around the country money to compensate for the additional charges.
…… It would be very helpful if Sustainable Energy Ireland were to make grants available for rainwater harvesting. I have raised the matter with the Minister before. It would be a simple policy to implement and I do not understand the reticence to pursue it.
I agree with Senator Moylan’s point about enforcement. I recall that when we built our own house 35 years ago, which was before the introduction of self-contained, bio-cycle waste systems for one-off housing, the septic tank provider also installed a tertiary treatment plant. By the time the material had been processed in the third tank, it was like clean water. Senator Moylan makes the important point that while we require the installation of certain systems, we never check to see how well they are doing.
I have spoken to people from the fisheries boards who must often examine applications for planning permission and who must do tests regarding soakage. One cannot argue with that. Such measures might deal with the issues which often bother rural dwellers. It is important to monitor the outcomes of decisions to see if they are working properly.
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Maritime Safety Bill 2004
04/05/05 - Upon examining section 16 concerning authorised officers, it occurred to me that there is specific reference in all other legislation to the role of the harbour master. As both the Minister of State and I know, the harbour master is crucial to the general operation of harbours in ensuring the implementation of Acts.
I have received representations about a difficulty arising from this Bill because harbour masters are not specifically mentioned. I ask the Minister of State to examine this matter with a view to determining whether further work is needed before it is introduced in the Dáil. A risk concerning certain ambiguities surrounding the role of the harbour master or the dilution of this role by the Bill exists, in particular where the harbour master is appointed by some form of harbour authority and must have his or her position sanctioned by the Garda or the Minister. There are problems of transition that may just be housekeeping, which can be dealt with quickly.
Our harbour masters are referred to in all relevant legislation, from primary legislation to by-laws. I fear that a smart Alec will challenge the harbour master’s role and find we have left a gap in the Bill. This is my residual worry. The harbour master is recognised internationally as the appropriate person for the role. If one arrives in a port in the Mediterranean, the south of England or the west of Ireland, the person in charge is the harbour master. A harbour master is appointed by local authorities to manage harbours under their jurisdictions and by-laws. Rosslare, where the local authority appoints the harbour master, is another example of what I am talking about.
The Minister of State and I have trust and confidence in the fantastic work harbour masters have done around the country. Is it not important to underline and reinforce their authority and our trust and confidence in them by having them mentioned in the Bill? This significant legislation will be welcome.
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Maritime Safety Bill 2004
20/04/05 - This new Part 4 of the Bill makes provision for passenger boats, fishing vessels and pleasure craft and the three sections mirror each other. In each, the phrase used is “may provide for the registration” of these craft. As far as I am aware, this is the first time in legislation that the registration of pleasure craft has been provided for. Perhaps this is not the case. I know it could be done earlier. Can the Minister of State indicate how it might work? There are many reasons this seems to be the case.
It is very difficult to recognise an individual boat. Irish pleasure boats, some of which can be quite expensive, are generally not registered. The reason for this is a difficulty with the Department, which is not anyone’s fault but is simply the way things are. Currently, getting a pleasure craft registered requires a person to go through 90% of the same procedure as if one were getting the Queen Mary registered. This is not an exaggeration and one must go through all the same steps. I have informed the Minister of State previously that we should have a simple method whereby someone can register a boat very much like one would register a car.
This issue will be important in the future. At some stage the Minister of State will regulate that a boat must pass a safety test, a sort of NCT for boats, to ensure it is a safe craft. There must be some element of registration involved and the Minister will never require people to go through the current process. We need an easier process to do it as it is currently very hard to prove.
The Minister of State’s Department should create an easy method to register a boat in the same way as a car, whereby one takes the engine number, the hull number, where it came from, where it was made and the year, registers the number and puts it on the side.
The lack of a number also facilitates crime. In recent times, in a number of locations along the Shannon and at sea, boats have been stolen. It is very difficult to trace a boat that does not have a number on it.
It is very strange that pleasure craft in Ireland do not have numbers. We need a measure for pleasure craft. I apologise for belabouring the issue but it is important in terms of safety, taxation, imports and exports and the regulation of the industry to know how boats are bought and sold, where they are placed, who owns them, where they are and where they have travelled.
The small vessel register is a necessary measure. …. I agree this should be introduced on a voluntary basis. It is a good way of beginning and discovering where difficulties lie. A responsible boat owner will go out of his or her way to register because people who have an interest in boating and waterways will wish to do so. I have no difficulty with this.
The Minister of State’s comments on secondary legislation worry me. He should give himself power now by introducing a Schedule to the Bill to allow him to establish a system for small vessel registration by ministerial order rather than any other requirement. I was under the impression the Minister of State could do this under the legislation and I see his official nodding. This is the way it should be so the Minister of State can now examine what comes before him.
Places where people can pull in must be developed as there is a shortage of such places on the Shannon. I spoke earlier on the need for urgent infrastructural projects but the difficulty in having environmentally friendly marinas built and provided along the Shannon is worrying. I have examined some of the proposals that were ruled out of order and would think myself to be as environmentally friendly, conscious and supportive as anyone. The Minister of State’s Department should get involved in supporting responsible people who are trying to provide a good service by supplying proper environmentally-friendly marinas along the Shannon in particular.
I am delighted the Minister mentioned the coast guard. The Department could be a little more supportive of members of the coast guard on whom our lives very often depend, which the Minister of State quite rightly said, and to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. These people should get some type of call-out fee, some element of support or some financial help. They put their lives at risk, particularly the coast guard which is not part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They are very much dependent on the Department. I know this area is being restructured, which is important. Will the Minister of State ensure the types of supports and structures in place for them are adequate?
It is not necessary for surveys to be carried out by personnel from the Department. If I buy a boat and get it insured, it is my responsibility to get a marine surveyor to survey the boat. Most boats which have been bought have been surveyed along the way. It should be enough for the Department to recognise the person carrying out the survey. One of the major problems has been having to depend unfairly on the Department to get surveys done. That pressure should not be on the Department and people should use qualified surveyors. There are a number of recognised qualifications for marine surveyors who are very diligent about their work because their reputations depend on it. They will not state a boat is safe if it is not because it will come back to haunt them.
…. legislation should be passed to provide that people on boats should use only eco-friendly detergents. It is a small thing as they are not much more expensive. Most supermarkets along the Shannon and other waterways sell such products, particularly along the inland waterways. Sink waste is more damaging to the environment than sewage and biological detergents cause more damage than anything else. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government should introduce legislation, a directive or a ministerial order stating that only eco-friendly detergents should be used on boats.
On the question of safety I support this section. As far as I can recall, the section deals with those who steer, drive, manoeuvre or pilot their boats. A significant number of the call-outs are by those who have been careless in their planning and have taken no notice of the weather. They think that because they have a new boat with a big engine they do not have to worry about anything. Suddenly they find that at a headland they are not ready for the force 7, 8 or 9 winds on the other side. There should be a requirement in passage planning for any distance that people check on the weather.
Met Éireann is helpful and good at what it does but in terms of improving safety at sea it requires significantly greater resources. For most of the coastland of the UK and even of Northern Ireland, it is possible to get a localised sea area forecast. … If more resources were provided to Met Éireann it could, in addition to the national forecast provided to RTE radio, provide a more detailed sea area forecast to the local radio stations, such as Hyland Radio, North West Radio and Radio Kerry. In this way one would get a much more detailed forecast. That should be done. Met Éireann has the ability to do this but it does not have the resources to make it available. More money should be put into Met Éireann.
… It is important that we attempt to ensure this legislation is enacted before the summer, if only for the propaganda value of raising awareness. This would signify a clear new beginning for the new boating season which starts at this time of year. The Government should be mindful of the importance of this.
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Each speech listed here is an edited speech. If you'd like to see the speech or debate in full, please go to the Oireachtas website and click on "Seanad Eireann" and then "Seanad Debates" and click on the relevant date as listed with each speech on this page.
Coast Guard Stations (27/02/08)
Control of Water Resources (21/12/07)
Marine Rescue Stations – Malin and Valentia (05/12/07)
Water Services Bill 2003 (01/05/07)
Maritime Safety Bill 2004 (04/05/05)
Maritime Safety Bill 2004 (20/04/05)
Coast Guard Stations
27/02/08) - I consider this proposal to be an absolute outrage against the west coast. It constitutes yet another denuding of support, infrastructure and tradition from rural Ireland. However, whatever the economic rights and wrongs of this proposal, it is wrong socially and in every other way.
I know both Malin and Valentia. A lovely new school has been located on the north side of Malin on the way towards Malin Head, which will lose numbers as a result of this measure. Every time one removes something from any small parish in the west, a ripple effect takes place throughout the community and everyone suffers in some way. Moreover, this is of great cultural significance and the points made by the previous speakers were highly impactful.
I am an offshore member of the RNLI and if I am sitting in Dursey Sound and wondering whether to stick my nose out into Kenmare Bay or to venture along the coast as far as Valentia, I would like to know that the person who speaking to me from Valentia is able to say what the swell is like, what kind of wind is blowing, whether there are many white tops in front of him or her or what is the story. Alternatively, if I am offshore and wish to get into Portmagee around Bray Head, I want someone who knows every inch of the area to be able to tell me it is a bit rough today, a south-westerly is blowing up and it is dangerous and difficult. Anyone from any place from the south-west to Malin who has ever suffered a night waiting for a lost boat to make contact and return home knows that the dependency on Malin and Valentia was an integral part of how we grew up. We grew up listening to old ships’ radios and while matters obviously have advanced since then, in the old days everyone tuned into channel 16 and listened to the marine services. These services are always present and know every inch of the region.
Above all however, this is decentralisation turned on its head. What is being done is completely wrong. Anything that is removed from such a community ultimately causes suffering for all. Members do not wish to see such developments happening. This is a bigger issue that pertains to regionalisation, decentralisation and saving the west. It resembles the thinking underlying the opening of the Atlantic highway from Derry to Limerick and beyond and is similar to opening the western rail corridor. It pertains to those issues and forms part and parcel of an interdependency of infrastructures and community in those areas.
This development is happening before Members’ eyes. Last year, half of the Members of the Oireachtas more or less mentally cheered when the salmon fisheries were closed. While I know there were good reasons for decommissioning one third of the fishing fleet, if matters continue in this fashion there will be nothing left in the west. It will be like turning out the lights on rural Ireland. Every week another decision is made which takes more from that area. Members should be sufficiently brave and responsible to acknowledge that it will cost more to invest in the west of Ireland and that there is inequality of investment in such regional areas. What is happening in Malin and Valentia at present is a step backwards and I ask the Government to withdraw its position in this regard.
Back to top of the page
Control of Water Resources
21/12/07 - I wish to bring to the attention of the House a matter arising from the issue we discussed recently, the schools water charges. The bills are being sent out by well-known companies. I have been a Member of this House for 20 years and I cannot remember the House ever deciding to privatise our water or to give our water away to companies. My colleague, Senator Ross, has referred time and again to the mistakes made more than 20 years ago when control over the toll bridges was handed over to NTR. I have some news for the House; NTR is a 50% owner of the company Celtic Anglian Water, which is supplying water to the Connemara Gaeltacht. Now that NTR has been paid off by an eventual €0.75 billion to allow the traffic to run free in Dublin, it is locking onto the water in Connemara and in other places.
I am concerned about who controls our water. When did we give it away? These companies are working for large profits and that is really the reason for the large bills. If large profits are being supported by large bills from companies such as the ones which run the Luas, the toll roads or which are now taking control of our water, there is a serious question for every politician of all sides and views to discuss. I do not want us in 20 or 30 years’ time having to buy back control from these contracts that are being given out currently unseen. This is privatisation by stealth and people do not like that aspect of it.
Back to top of the page
Marine Rescue Stations – Malin and Valentia
05/12/07 - There have been many emotional discussions and debates about the merits of centralisation and decentralisation. In light of the agreement of all parties on the merits of decentralisation, it is unacceptable that there is a proposal before the Government at present to close the marine rescue stations in Malin and Valentia. It is appalling that we should do this. It shows a lack of understanding of the needs of seafarers. It is a classic ignorant east coast approach to a western issue. Anyone who has come through Dursey Sound or the Blasket Sound knowing that the Valentia rescue centre is within sight will know what I mean. It is not just about technology or radar screens. It is about hundreds of years of lore. It is about people who know the size of the swell two days after the waves have gone, who know the sounds of Sceilig Mhichíl agus Sceilig Bheag and can tell one from the other.
This action is appalling. It takes away from these two places. I do not know whether people know Malin Head and Valentia Island, but there is not a lot of work around and not much happening. The idea of taking away employment in those areas is unacceptable. This is an all-party issue. The Minister should be told it is just not on. It is wrong and flies in the face of all we need. It was ironic that this hit the news yesterday when Malin station had just co-ordinated the rescue attempt for the Kennedy family in Inver in Donegal. The House should take a clear line on this and indicate that the closure is unacceptable. I would like the Minister to come to the House and discuss this so that we may explain to him that this is about more than technology and data. There is also a cost issue. The buildings and personnel are in place and any upgrading required can be done while retaining both stations.
Back to top of the page
Water Services Bill 2003
01/05/07 - I listened to a most heated and energetic debate at the INTO Annual Congress this year on that issue. The Minister has met representatives of the educational communities at local level who have pointed out to him how inadequate are their grants to meet the demands on them in terms of different local authority charges. I am not opposed to local authority charges in a general sense but it is quite unfair that they are used at school level. In the event of schools having to pay charges to local authorities, could they not be allowed to recoup those charges from the State? There should be no difficulty about that since it would not require a change in the law. The State should recognise the difficulty for schools and give those running primary and post-primary schools around the country money to compensate for the additional charges.
…… It would be very helpful if Sustainable Energy Ireland were to make grants available for rainwater harvesting. I have raised the matter with the Minister before. It would be a simple policy to implement and I do not understand the reticence to pursue it.
I agree with Senator Moylan’s point about enforcement. I recall that when we built our own house 35 years ago, which was before the introduction of self-contained, bio-cycle waste systems for one-off housing, the septic tank provider also installed a tertiary treatment plant. By the time the material had been processed in the third tank, it was like clean water. Senator Moylan makes the important point that while we require the installation of certain systems, we never check to see how well they are doing.
I have spoken to people from the fisheries boards who must often examine applications for planning permission and who must do tests regarding soakage. One cannot argue with that. Such measures might deal with the issues which often bother rural dwellers. It is important to monitor the outcomes of decisions to see if they are working properly.
Back to top of the page
Maritime Safety Bill 2004
04/05/05 - Upon examining section 16 concerning authorised officers, it occurred to me that there is specific reference in all other legislation to the role of the harbour master. As both the Minister of State and I know, the harbour master is crucial to the general operation of harbours in ensuring the implementation of Acts.
I have received representations about a difficulty arising from this Bill because harbour masters are not specifically mentioned. I ask the Minister of State to examine this matter with a view to determining whether further work is needed before it is introduced in the Dáil. A risk concerning certain ambiguities surrounding the role of the harbour master or the dilution of this role by the Bill exists, in particular where the harbour master is appointed by some form of harbour authority and must have his or her position sanctioned by the Garda or the Minister. There are problems of transition that may just be housekeeping, which can be dealt with quickly.
Our harbour masters are referred to in all relevant legislation, from primary legislation to by-laws. I fear that a smart Alec will challenge the harbour master’s role and find we have left a gap in the Bill. This is my residual worry. The harbour master is recognised internationally as the appropriate person for the role. If one arrives in a port in the Mediterranean, the south of England or the west of Ireland, the person in charge is the harbour master. A harbour master is appointed by local authorities to manage harbours under their jurisdictions and by-laws. Rosslare, where the local authority appoints the harbour master, is another example of what I am talking about.
The Minister of State and I have trust and confidence in the fantastic work harbour masters have done around the country. Is it not important to underline and reinforce their authority and our trust and confidence in them by having them mentioned in the Bill? This significant legislation will be welcome.
Back to top of the page
Maritime Safety Bill 2004
20/04/05 - This new Part 4 of the Bill makes provision for passenger boats, fishing vessels and pleasure craft and the three sections mirror each other. In each, the phrase used is “may provide for the registration” of these craft. As far as I am aware, this is the first time in legislation that the registration of pleasure craft has been provided for. Perhaps this is not the case. I know it could be done earlier. Can the Minister of State indicate how it might work? There are many reasons this seems to be the case.
It is very difficult to recognise an individual boat. Irish pleasure boats, some of which can be quite expensive, are generally not registered. The reason for this is a difficulty with the Department, which is not anyone’s fault but is simply the way things are. Currently, getting a pleasure craft registered requires a person to go through 90% of the same procedure as if one were getting the Queen Mary registered. This is not an exaggeration and one must go through all the same steps. I have informed the Minister of State previously that we should have a simple method whereby someone can register a boat very much like one would register a car.
This issue will be important in the future. At some stage the Minister of State will regulate that a boat must pass a safety test, a sort of NCT for boats, to ensure it is a safe craft. There must be some element of registration involved and the Minister will never require people to go through the current process. We need an easier process to do it as it is currently very hard to prove.
The Minister of State’s Department should create an easy method to register a boat in the same way as a car, whereby one takes the engine number, the hull number, where it came from, where it was made and the year, registers the number and puts it on the side.
The lack of a number also facilitates crime. In recent times, in a number of locations along the Shannon and at sea, boats have been stolen. It is very difficult to trace a boat that does not have a number on it.
It is very strange that pleasure craft in Ireland do not have numbers. We need a measure for pleasure craft. I apologise for belabouring the issue but it is important in terms of safety, taxation, imports and exports and the regulation of the industry to know how boats are bought and sold, where they are placed, who owns them, where they are and where they have travelled.
The small vessel register is a necessary measure. …. I agree this should be introduced on a voluntary basis. It is a good way of beginning and discovering where difficulties lie. A responsible boat owner will go out of his or her way to register because people who have an interest in boating and waterways will wish to do so. I have no difficulty with this.
The Minister of State’s comments on secondary legislation worry me. He should give himself power now by introducing a Schedule to the Bill to allow him to establish a system for small vessel registration by ministerial order rather than any other requirement. I was under the impression the Minister of State could do this under the legislation and I see his official nodding. This is the way it should be so the Minister of State can now examine what comes before him.
Places where people can pull in must be developed as there is a shortage of such places on the Shannon. I spoke earlier on the need for urgent infrastructural projects but the difficulty in having environmentally friendly marinas built and provided along the Shannon is worrying. I have examined some of the proposals that were ruled out of order and would think myself to be as environmentally friendly, conscious and supportive as anyone. The Minister of State’s Department should get involved in supporting responsible people who are trying to provide a good service by supplying proper environmentally-friendly marinas along the Shannon in particular.
I am delighted the Minister mentioned the coast guard. The Department could be a little more supportive of members of the coast guard on whom our lives very often depend, which the Minister of State quite rightly said, and to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. These people should get some type of call-out fee, some element of support or some financial help. They put their lives at risk, particularly the coast guard which is not part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They are very much dependent on the Department. I know this area is being restructured, which is important. Will the Minister of State ensure the types of supports and structures in place for them are adequate?
It is not necessary for surveys to be carried out by personnel from the Department. If I buy a boat and get it insured, it is my responsibility to get a marine surveyor to survey the boat. Most boats which have been bought have been surveyed along the way. It should be enough for the Department to recognise the person carrying out the survey. One of the major problems has been having to depend unfairly on the Department to get surveys done. That pressure should not be on the Department and people should use qualified surveyors. There are a number of recognised qualifications for marine surveyors who are very diligent about their work because their reputations depend on it. They will not state a boat is safe if it is not because it will come back to haunt them.
…. legislation should be passed to provide that people on boats should use only eco-friendly detergents. It is a small thing as they are not much more expensive. Most supermarkets along the Shannon and other waterways sell such products, particularly along the inland waterways. Sink waste is more damaging to the environment than sewage and biological detergents cause more damage than anything else. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government should introduce legislation, a directive or a ministerial order stating that only eco-friendly detergents should be used on boats.
On the question of safety I support this section. As far as I can recall, the section deals with those who steer, drive, manoeuvre or pilot their boats. A significant number of the call-outs are by those who have been careless in their planning and have taken no notice of the weather. They think that because they have a new boat with a big engine they do not have to worry about anything. Suddenly they find that at a headland they are not ready for the force 7, 8 or 9 winds on the other side. There should be a requirement in passage planning for any distance that people check on the weather.
Met Éireann is helpful and good at what it does but in terms of improving safety at sea it requires significantly greater resources. For most of the coastland of the UK and even of Northern Ireland, it is possible to get a localised sea area forecast. … If more resources were provided to Met Éireann it could, in addition to the national forecast provided to RTE radio, provide a more detailed sea area forecast to the local radio stations, such as Hyland Radio, North West Radio and Radio Kerry. In this way one would get a much more detailed forecast. That should be done. Met Éireann has the ability to do this but it does not have the resources to make it available. More money should be put into Met Éireann.
… It is important that we attempt to ensure this legislation is enacted before the summer, if only for the propaganda value of raising awareness. This would signify a clear new beginning for the new boating season which starts at this time of year. The Government should be mindful of the importance of this.
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