Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have an opportunity to address this important question. Public safety as regards fairgrounds and theme parks is regulated by the Planning and Development Act 2000, which requires the owners of fairground equipment to have a valid certificate of safety under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, is currently reviewing issues in regard to safety at funfairs, theme parks and community events. I look forward to the outcome of that review.

The Health and Safety Authority, which is under my remit, is the national statutory body with responsibility for ensuring the provisions on workplace health and safety set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 are implemented so that those affected by work activity are protected from work-related injury and ill health. The 2005 Act places a range of duties on undertakings and individuals to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of employees.

The authority does not have any statutory responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of users of fairground equipment. Nor does it have any role in the regulation of public safety where the operation of funfair equipment used by members of the public is concerned.

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