Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

The nub of the matter will come down to a case where the authorised officer has arrested a person after a serious accident, perhaps one where people have lost their lives. What is the objective test? In the case of a road accident we can establish if a person is over the legal limit but the Minister of State is presiding over a situation where there are no limits. Considering the number of users, one could consider the marine environment to be relatively more dangerous than the road. Therefore it is incumbent on the authorities, using the new powers here, to ensure people do not misuse alcohol or drugs while engaged in the pleasurable use of craft and the enjoyment of our natural resources. The Minister should establish an objective test.

When the Government changes, another Minister may review water safety and this measure would be a development of what the present Minister of State has done. I commend him on including the provisions on this matter in the Bill. It is an area from which people often shy away and ignore. The Minister of State is from a seafaring area, similar to my constituency, and he realises that it is an important issue. He should have set a standard. There are some people who think that there should be no standard for driving and drinking — in other words, that it should be banned.

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