Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Nobody can give a 100% guarantee. The person in command of the boat has the responsibility to keep good order. It will not be possible to have an authorised person at every port or stop along inland waterways like the Shannon. Spot checks will be vital and as a deterrent the authorised persons should be seen, which will be a matter for the local authorities or the harbour authorities. If it were all so simple we could ensure that zero tolerance applied and if the same were true for drunken driving on the road we would have no difficulty there either. Once the legislation is enacted we need to send out the right signals. If it is necessary to make an example of some, then so be it. I reiterate my earlier statement that the person in command has responsibility not only to himself or herself, but also to all others on the boat. I am making it very clear to all the prescribed bodies and the authorised officers who will be appointed by those prescribed bodies, that they should be seen and be active.