Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I have no problem in welcoming the Bill because it is both timely and overdue. The legislation is designed to beef up the law against the improper use of personal watercraft such as jet skis and other small recreational watercraft such as speedboats. For too long legislation in this area was inadequate and half-hearted with some local authorities taking decisions to ban jet skis from beaches. There is no doubt that this legislation will have the effect of enhancing public safety as well as protecting heritage areas. Its effect will be to toughen the law against improper use in coastal waters and on lakes and rivers of certain high powered watercraft such as speedboats and jet skis.

The legislation should also have a beneficial knock-on effect for tourism and the holiday industry through the amelioration of safety measures inherent in the Bill. I would not like to be seen as in favour of banning entirely such speed craft. However, I am in favour of the designation of restricted areas for their use, perhaps within certain hours or late in the evening. Theyshould not be used near locations in which people are using conventional craft or children are playing.

I note that speedboats have recently been banned in the Lake District area of Cumbria in northern England. Lake Windermere was used in the past by Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son, Donald Campbell, as a venue for world water speed record attempts. We all have vivid memories of the speeds reached on such occasions. The Lake District has been one of the brightest jewels in Britain's tourism crown for a long time. Millions of tourists flock to its lakes and fells each summer. A ban on certain forms of water sports activity was recently brought into effect because locals and tourists could no longer endure the use of high speed watercraft which was leading to congestion and danger.

Many small boats, kayaks and canoes will be seen on the water when the outdoor season gets under way soon. Unfortunately, the users of such vessels will not have the water to themselves for long. The use of jet skis and powered watercraft has been increasing in recent years. The design, operation and use of such watercraft are fundamentally different from those of conventional boats. Small boats are known collectively as the "no octane brigade", in contrast to powered watercraft which are known as the "go-faster crowd". There is an uneasy truce between the two forms of craft. Our lakes and rivers cannot accommodate everybody's needs indefinitely because our inland waterways are becoming increasingly crowded. The use of powered watercraft is incompatible with certain waterways, the unique attributes of which can be jeopardised.

Parents who think they can earn brownie points with their children by giving them jet skis are teaching them to be abusive, to have a total disregard for people's privacy, to depend on a machine for fun rather than using their minds and to have a complete disregard for nature. Such boat rage is common. The machines in question can charge around at speeds in excess of 70 mph, as if Newton's law of motion had been repealed. Some of those who operate powered watercraft do not listen to the appeals of local residents for peace and calm. Such machines can stop quickly if they strike a floating or partially submerged object but their riders do not necessarily stop as quickly. Powered watercraft are equipped with a dead man's switch, a key that can be pulled by the rider to slow the machine to idling speed if he or she falls off. The machines run in circles in such circumstances, thereby allowing the rider to remount if he or she happens to be still alive.

If children are introduced to powered watercraft too soon, it is natural that they will continue to seek artificial thrills later in life. I do not doubt that jet skis are expensive, noisy, thrilling, fast and macho toys. They can be fun if used at a sufficient distance from others. If a person is rowing a canoe or a kayak on a lake when a large powerboat passes at excessive speed, he or she might be swamped in its wake. It is unfortunate that everything that makes powerboats enjoyable to use is in direct contrast and opposition to the peace and quiet needed by people trying to escape their stressful everyday lives. Access to jet skis in the United States is prohibited in the vicinity of most national parks. Such machines endanger and disturb wildlife because of their high speeds, unpredictable movements and excessive noise. When the ban was introduced in the United States, all national parks experienced an immediate increase of between 6% and 10% in visitor numbers.

Powered watercraft significantly damage the quality of air and water conditions, the enjoyment of visitors and the health and safety of the public. They place many wildlife species in danger. As they have two-stroke engines, they require oil to be burned with petrol to lubricate the engine's internal parts. They pollute watercourses by releasing up to 30% of their mixture of fuel and oil directly into the air and water. An average two hour thrill ride on a powered watercraft can lead to the release of between three and four gallons of unburned petrol and oil into the water. On some weekends thousands of gallons of fuel are dumped in previously unpolluted waters. In California it has been estimated that if one takes a daylong ride on a 100 horsepower jet ski, one will emit the same amount of smog forming air pollution as one would have by driving 100,000 miles in a car. That is considered to be high mileage because it is the equivalent of five years average driving for most.

Powered watercraft have a high pitched chainsaw-type whine which can ruin the outdoor experience of people interested in wildlife. Their noise levels are particularly disturbing for humans and especially dangerous to marine wildlife. Every time a powered watercraft goes over a wave its engine emerges from the water and the level of loudness and pitch changes. For this reason such craft can be much more disturbing than conventional motorboats. Noise from a single jet ski measures between 85 and 102 decibels. A person's hearing is impaired when noise reaches 90 decibels. Powered watercraft can force lake users out of the water by swerving and jumping at speeds of up to 70 mph. A busy city street produces noise levels of 85 decibels, on average. Many are sick and tired of having their weekends disturbed by incessant noise and disruption caused by fast watercraft in their local waters.

Our cherished memories of swimming in our favourite local ponds, fishing in local lakes, enjoying peace and quiet and observing the local wildlife may soon be a thing of the past. In San Francisco powered watercraft are not permitted within a radius of 350 m of the shore. They are banned from estuaries and rivers for a distance of up to seven miles inland.

Powerboat laws were introduced in Wales some years ago after an accident in which a male swan was killed by a jet skier. The laws provide for compulsory tuition, qualifications for users of jet skis and powerboats and the construction of purpose built jet ski berths. Anybody who wishes to use a jet ski in Wales is required to have a level 2 qualification in the use of powered watercraft. Not everyone who owns a jet ski is a nuisance as the majority of such persons are competent and their activities can be said to complement marinas. Parents have an obligation to ensure their children are competent and safe.

The Bill is principally concerned with giving local authorities and port authorities the power to regulate and control the use of powered watercraft and other watercraft by means of penalties. It could benefit by providing for instruction in the safe use of powered watercraft, along the lines of such regulations in the United Kingdom. I would like as many people as possible to enjoy the water while participating in healthy outdoor activities. I, therefore, welcome the Bill which will help to create a safe environment in which such activities can take place. I am happy to support it and trust it will be further modified to enhance the prospects of people being able to enjoy the water in a safe environment.

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