Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 13, line 18, to delete “for an initial period of up to 5 years” and substitute “for the period of each ownership”.

The advice I was given on section 9 was that there are advantages to yachts voluntarily registering. It is analogous to the way in which establishing and proving ownership of a house by way of title deeds removes much of the risk when buying and selling. The buyer knows the seller owns the boat and knows there is no outstanding mortgage. Registration is also useful when visiting foreign ports for proof of ownership. The amendment my colleagues in sailing put forward is that the period of registration should be for each period of ownership rather than every five years. They say this is analogous to a house purchase and it should only be necessary to re-register on transfer of ownership. In this day and age, the fear was that if they had to register every five years the question of charging would enter into it, and a future Minister - not Deputy Varadkar - might see it as a handy source of revenue. The yacht people are trying to protect themselves in that regard, but there are also extra administration costs. Distinguished sailors who have travelled from Howth to Greenland and the north of Russia suggested these amendments and I put them forward in that spirit if they are of assistance to the Minister.