Jet ski laws ‘being ignored’
Under legislation, only the gardaí can enforce the by-laws but the necessary proof to convict has proved difficult to establish.
Youghal Town Council is to ask government to amend legislation to allow the coastguard service to enforce the by-laws.
Alternatively they will seek to have the gardaí equipped with an inflatable boat to monitor jet skis.
Green Party town councillor Liam Burke told a council meeting that throughout summer there were numerous instances of jet ski users flouting the by-laws governing the speed at which they were permitted to travel.
He suggested the erection of additional signage to press home the urgency of complying with the by-laws.
The harbour master, Michael Kelly, said it wasn’t easy to prove what speed they were travelling at.
“In other areas people have been taken to court but very often the cases against them were thrown out because of lack of proof,” he said.
Mr Kelly said all they could realistically do was to keep warning the jet ski users about the need to comply with the by-laws.
“Enforcing them is the real problem,” he said.
