With its long coastline, lakes, numerous rivers, and the popular Salthill Prom, Galway is very much a ‘county by the sea’ and ringbuoys are a common sight and a necessity along our beaches, rivers, and lakes.
All the containers for ringbuoys carry the legends ‘A stolen ringbuoy, a stolen life’ to emphasise the importance of ringbuoys in assisting people in difficulty in water and to act as a deterrent to those who might think of stealing them or removing them.
As a result the Minister for State at the Department of the Environment, Michael Finneran, has launched a new website - www.ringbuoys.ie - which will enable the public to report damaged, stolen, missing, or retrieved ringbuoys anywhere in the country.
“It is a matter of serious concern when a local authority goes to the expense of installing ringbuoys along river banks and other locations only for them to be vandalised or stolen,” said Minister Finneran. “It is regrettable that a very small minority of people, who engage in stealing or vandalising ringbuoys, fail to appreciate the potentially very serious consequences of their actions.”
