Driving licences for boat and jet ski users are part of new water safety regulations planned by the Department of the Marine, which aims to stop "irresponsible behaviour" and to introduce a "culture shift" to make safety the main consideration.

The Minister of State, Mr Hugh Byrne, told the Dail a competency certificate should be produced before pleasure craft could be hired or purchased.

"That is absolutely essential," he insisted.

The Minister was responding during marine questions to Mr Michael Bell (Lab, Louth) who questioned safety standards for pleasure craft following the boating tragedy in Dunany, Co Louth, earlier this year when two adults and two children drowned.

Mr Bell called for safeguards similar to those that apply to road traffic safety, such as compulsory safety belts, and asked the Minister "will he ensure that people will be compelled to adhere to these safeguards in relation to travel on water?"

The Minister intends to have a safety regime in place "which would include a requirement on training and operator competence testing, operator licences and craft registration".

He urged people selling or renting boats to "ensure that people who are purchasing or renting can handle such craft at sea".

Mr Byrne added that because of the number of serious accidents involving jet skis and fast craft he set up an action group to carry out a comprehensive review of the safe use of small recreational craft.

He aimed to "stop irresponsible behaviour by a small number of users, to protect the safety of other water users and to end the severe nuisance and distress being caused in certain locations and in traditional bathing, boating and angling areas".

The action group would complete its final report by the end of February, and the Minister promised he would act quickly to bring forward necessary legislation.

Mr Bell questioned the membership of the action group, asking if any member was under investigation for illegal offshore activity and if they would be removed from the group.

Mr Michael Finucane (FG, Limerick West) said there were claims that one of the 23 members on the group held an Ansbacher account.

Mr Byrne said no member of the group was guilty of any misdemeanour and "until such time as any such evidence is shown to me, I am certainly not prepared to do any more about it".