Fine Gael has called for increased Government funding for adventure centres on foot of a report calling for tighter regulation of the sector.
Mr Michael Finucane, Fine Gael's marine spokesman, said that it was "imperative" for additional funding be made available to the Association For Adventure Sports (AFAS) to enable it to carry out inspections of all centres, pending new legislation.
Last week, an interdepartmental committee report advised that instruction in adventure sports be subject to statutory control, with penalties for breaches in safety guidelines. The committee found adventure sports here to be generally safe, but warned that there could be "no guarantee" against serious accidents. The report was commissioned by Dr Woods following a private members' bill initiated by Mr Finucane. The Fine Gael TD introduced his bill after consultation with Mr Michael Davies, father of Ros Davies, one of two young people who died in the Dunmore East canoeing accident in February 1995.
Mr Finucane said he welcomed the Minister's promise to introduce legislation, but it would not come in time for this year's season. "It is imperative that Minister Woods does all in his power to avoid accidents, or possible fatalities, at ad- venture centres, and this can best be done by increasing the financial resources of AFAS", he said. AFAS, the national governing body, has given the report a broad welcome. However, its chairman, Mr Dawson Stelfox, said that the proposed statutory authority should accept the standards laid down by AFAS.
The interdepartmental commit- tee found that voluntary codes of practice could no longer guarantee safety, given the growing number of unregulated providers. Around 325,000 people are instructed in adventure sports annually, and many of the participants are under 18 years of age. How- ever, only about 40 of an estimated 180 providers are registered with AFAS.
The committee found adventure sports to be generally safer than many other sporting activities. It also praised the existing voluntary safety schemes and standards.