Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

743. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the legislation or regulations in place in relation to the protection of health and safety of children in privately owned recreational facilities such as theme parks, amusement centres and activity parks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42351/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Section 239 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 places a statutory duty on organisers of funfairs and owners of fairground equipment to take such care as is reasonable for ensuring that persons at a funfair do not suffer injury or damage by reason of dangers arising from the funfair or associated activities.  This legislation also requires that the owner of fairground equipment shall not make it available to the public unless such equipment has a valid certificate of safety. The organiser of a funfair is required to give notice of the event to the relevant local authority and such notice is to be accompanied by a valid certificate of safety.

My Department commenced an internal review process on the issue of safety at funfairs/ fairground equipment earlier this year. The review of the aspects of legislation relating to regulation of fairground equipment and funfairs in section 239 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, particularly in respect of the specific legislative provisions relating to fairground equipment, is on-going and includes an examination of international practice in the area of regulating public safety. The drafting of the review report has commenced and further engagement with relevant stakeholders is envisaged as part of the process of clarifying issues and preparing the report's conclusions and recommendations.