Buoy toys: vandalism of safety floats rings up €50,000 cost

Dublin floats idea of tracker chip deterrent as young men on stag dos are blamed for theft and destruction of safety kit
Brian Mahon
The Sunday Times
Adding signage to lifebuoy brackets deters theft
Adding signage to lifebuoy brackets deters theft
ALAMY
Brian Mahon
The Sunday Times

Local authorities across the country are spending more than €50,000 a year to replace an estimated 1,500 lifebuoys that are stolen or vandalised.

Dublin city council had to replace 500 lifebuoys in 2018 at a cost of €20,000. As the council is in charge of more than 140 lifebuoy locations, it is the equivalent of having to replace each lifebuoy at least three times a year.

Now it is investigating if it can add low-tech trackers to buoys as a deterrent.

Equipment is often taken and discarded
Equipment is often taken and discarded

John Leech, chief executive of the charity Irish Water Safety, said it was mainly drunken young men who stole lifebuoys, with many incidents occurring after people came out of nightclubs.

Gerard Carty, water safety development officer at Dublin city council, agreed, adding that “90%