Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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329. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the strategies his Department is currently employing to minimise the number of deaths by drowning in the State; if these strategies are regularly reviewed and if he will detail the outcome of the most recent review; if he will indicate the annual expenditure since March 2011 on promoting water safety and preventing deaths by drowning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28919/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Irish Water Safety is the statutory body under the auspices of my Department established to provide the following services:

- promotion of public awareness of water safety;

- promotion of measures, including the advancement of education, related to the prevention of accidents in water;

- provision of instruction in water safety, rescue, swimming, resuscitation and recovery drills;

- promotion of the efficiency and standardisation of the lifeguard service;

- establishment of national standards for lifeguards, lifesaving and water safety and

- such other services relating to water safety as may be required.

Irish Water Safety is implementing a Strategic Development Plan for the period 2012 - 2017 which is available at . This Strategic Development Plan is reviewed at regular intervals by the Council of Irish Water Safety, and is focussed on the core statutory aims of the body around promoting water safety in Ireland.

Irish Water Safety receives funding from my Department to cover the operating costs relating to its headquarters in Galway , which in both 2011 and 2012 was €512,000 per annum . Other funding is generated directly by Irish Water Safety by way of sponsorship and fundraising by its volunteer members. These members deserve considerable praise for the level of dedication they show in their membership of and work for Irish Water Safety .