Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is now saying the remit of the Bill is much wider than just boat owners and boats because, rightly, authorised officers can give anybody a direction. What I am saying is the power to give an order to somebody should not be confined to boat owners and exclude boat renters, boat passengers and so on. It is way too restrictive. The term "persons on canal property" would be much more appropriate. The legislation seems to suggest problems will only arise with boat owners, not with others who are not the owners of boats. If the Minister wants to think about it and come back on Report Stage, that is fine.