|
|
No assessment has been made by the Government of the need for fully trained lifeguards on public beaches in Northern Ireland, nor of the funding for this activity.While most of the beaches in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of district councils, there is no statutory requirement on them to provide lifeguards along publicly used beaches.However, I am aware that both Down district council and Newry and Mourne district council now have trained beach lifeguards stationed at Tyrella and Cranfield beaches respectively. In addition, I welcome the work being undertaken by Limavady, Coleraine, and Moyle councils and the National Trust to improve safety on their public beaches along the North Coast, by working in conjunction with a range of agencies including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents; the Royal National Lifeboat Association; the Coastguard; the Ambulance Service for Northern Ireland; and the Royal Life Saving Society. |