Sir, - I welcome the initiative taken by Dr Michael Woods, Minister for the Marine, in setting up an action group to examine all aspects of safety in the leisure sector of the marine industry. This examination is long overdue, because in the past and in recent times we have been faced with the heartbreaking spectacle of lives being lost in the marine leisure sector. The tragedy here appears to be the absence of standards of skill or professional qualification for those in charge of sea crafts.
In this age of certification of everything from eggs to aeroplanes, how can it happen that a person of any age without any qualification or skill in sea craft can legally take out a boat for a day's "pleasure" on the water? And he can invite all his friends to come along for the ride.
I am not suggesting that all those who have been so tragically lost in marine leisure accidents off our coasts have been stupid or reckless. Their loss is something that will haunt their loved ones for the rest of their lives. What I am saying is that you need a licence to drive a car. You need a licence to fly a plane. You need a licence to get married. Dammit, you need a licence to keep a dog. Isn't it time we set some sort of standard of competence for operating a sea craft of any size or any purpose?
There are books of regulations to ensure that a boat is up to standard, but nothing at all about the operator. Vessels must be seaworthy, with certain buoyancy fitted. They must have expensive communications equipment on board and are required to carry emergency signalling equipment and life-preservers. But the person at the tiller is not required by law to even know the sharp end from the blunt end before taking his own life and the lives of others in his charge.
We must hope that, under the watchful eye of Dr Woods, any recommendations arising from the action group will be implemented immediately and legislation passed if required. Our record on implementation in the past leaves a lot to be desired, as there are a lot of dust-covered reports on the shelves of the Department of the Marine in Leeson Lane.
This is a situation that needs urgent attention. We are becoming increasingly aware of our marine and other aquatic resources. More people are going to sea for more types of leisure activities from sail-boarding to shark-hunting. This is all well and good, but isn't it time we set some minimum standard to try and ensure that more of us come home again in safety? - Yours, etc.,
Joey Murrin, Harbour Heights, Chapel Road, Killybegs, Co Donegal.