A sightseeing boat on the largest of the lakes of Killarney had almost one-third more passengers on board than it should have had, a routine inspection by the Department of Transport found last year.
The MV Lily of Killarney, one of two water coaches or water buses which operate on Lough Leane near Killarney town, also did not have enough crew members to cope with an emergency, Killarney District Court heard yesterday.
Judge James O'Connor convicted the company and fined it €400.
The court heard how the marine survey office of the Department of Transport inspected passenger boats only once a year, because it did not have the personnel to carry out more inspections.
Killarney Watercoach Cruises Ltd, Old Weir Lodge, Muckross Road, Killarney, pleaded guilty to allowing the vessel on the waters in such an unseaworthy state that the life of persons on board was endangered, contrary to the Maritime Safety Act 2005 and to a related charge of passenger overloading contrary to its certificate issued under the Merchant Shipping Act 1992.
Nautical surveyor with the marine survey office of the Department of Transport Capt Neil Forde told the court how on August 22nd, 2006, he boarded the Lily of Killarney and found it had 103 passengers but only had one crew member, the skipper. Its permit was for 78 passengers and two crew members.
The skipper on this type of vessel would not be able to operate the vessel and deal with any emergency. In a fire, for instance, the skipper would not be able to cope with passengers and manage the vessel at the same time, or deal with a passenger falling overboard, Capt Forde said.
Asked by Judge O'Connor how often inspections were carried out, Capt Forde said they carried out a circuit of the coast once a year, would like to carry out inspections more often, but did not have the personnel. State solicitor Ed O'Sullivan, prosecuting on behalf of the Department of Transport, said the company had co-operated fully and when revisited this summer everything was in order.