The Galway City Council has indicated it would be unwise to reinstate the raft at Blackrock this summer due to serious safety concerns.
The issue was raised at a council meeting on Monday by Cllr Pearce Flannery, who pointed out that a report on the raft last year recommend it be reinstated. “The people of Salthill are vociferous in their demands to have it back,” he added.
However the city council’s CEO, Brendan McGrath, said there were serious safety concerns regarding the raft, both while it was in use and particularly when it was not attended.
A report circulated to councillors found that an earlier recommendation that an additional lifeguard be posted to Salthill while the raft is in use would not be sufficient to address the risks the raft posed to users. An inspection carried out at the request of the city council’s health and safety officer found that the raft was unstable and presented a slip hazard for people using it while barefoot.
