3. Management of the beach
3.1 Management Structure
The implementation of the Beach Management Plan will require the successful coordination of tasks and roles through the management system put in place. Key to the new management system is the Beach Manager. The Beach Manager is a representative from Meath County Council who will manage the resources which are made available from Meath County Council for the operation of the beach. The Beach Manager will be the first point of contact from MCC regarding any issues that may arise from the Beach Wardens, Life Guards, local groups or communities, or from the general public. The Beach Warden will be the key contact for the beach, to ensure effective communication is maintained between key stakeholders.
3.2 Proposed Structure
The proposed management structure for Beach is shown in Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1: Laytown/Bettystown/Mornington Beach Management Structure
3.3 Beach Manager
The Beach Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the beach. The Beach Manager will be a representative from Meath County Council. Whilst the role does not require a full-time position, the person will need to perform beach management functions throughout the year and tasks including;
- Implementation of the Beach Management
- Control of budgets where
- Hiring / Coordination with the Beach
- Hiring / Coordination with the Life
- Liaison with the local
- Attending meetings with the local councillors / Beach Management
- The licensing of public
- Coordinate with the Gardai regarding any anti-social behaviour reported on the
3.4 Beach Wardens
Beach Wardens are employed by Meath County Council for the summer bathing season. Beach Wardens have a number of different responsibilities, including duties to be carried out on a daily basis, enforcing the Meath County Council Foreshore bye Laws 2010, coordinating the traffic management, and ensuring that litter management is provided. A list of duties for the Beach Wardens includes the following;
Table 3.1: Duties of the Beach Wardens
|
Daily Duties |
Traffic Management |
|
To oversee and ensure the observance of the Fore Shore Bye-Laws Manages the assigned area in respect of all activities and enforces same To act as a first point of contact with the public with particular emphasis on the provision of tourism related advice and guidance. To remove/arrange for the removal of hazards from the beach. To carry out any other instructions which may be given by the line manager/supervisor from time to time. |
On good days, in the interest of Beach Safety and traffic Management, cone off the entrance to the beach. To ensure the implementation of the Traffic and Parking Bye-Laws in the coastal area including the issue of on the spot fines. Coordination and preparation for predictable increases in visitor numbers. |
|
Beach Bye-Laws |
Litter / Animal Control |
|
Liaising with the local Gardai Prosecutions and attending Court To enforce the Casual Trading Bye-Laws for the Laytown/Bettystown area in association with the local Gardai. To meet with and act as liaison to Community Groups as required |
To assist in the implementation of the County Meath Litter Plan including the issue of on the spot fines, the initiation of prosecutions, etc. To ensure that litter bins on the beach are emptied, as required and maintained in a tidy condition. To work as part of the local authority’s regulatory/enforcement machinery including the carrying out of inspections, the issue of oral and written instruction, etc. This will cover such areas (but not exclusively) as dog and horse control, indiscriminate dumping, unauthorised skips, abandoned vehicles, etc. |
3.5 Beach Management Committee
The Beach Management Committee is the voice of the local community and will oversee all aspects of the management of the beach. It will comprise of 15 members of the local community.
The activities of the Beach Management Committee will involve:
- Coordination with the Beach Manager regarding Beach issues/concerns.
- Coordination with sports/local groups and
- Coordination with
- Working with the local
- Developing new sports and events for the
- Attendance at public meetings to listen to any concerns / issues that the public may
- Elect a chairperson to whom members of the public can directly address with
3.6 Beach Resources
Laytown, Bettystown and Mornington Beach currently has a limited range of resources to offer beach users. On the beach itself, aside from the ability to park on the beach, there are no resources available to beach users. This lack of resources is reflective of the culture which has developed on the beach itself which centres around beach users being self-sufficient by bringing packed lunches picnics etc. with them in their cars.
There are a greater range of resources provided a short walk from the beach entrance at Seaview Terrace in the form of take aways, retail stores, public houses, a hotel as well as the Funtasia amusement centre.
3.7 An Garda Síochána
The local Gardai are vital in the management of the beach, as they will be able to enforce the law and provide support to the Beach Wardens and Lifeguards should the need arise.
In order to ensure a strong line of communication between the Beach Wardens / Lifeguards and the local Gardai, the Gardai shall meet with the Beach Wardens and Lifeguards at the start of the summer season. This meeting will be arranged and coordinated by the Beach Manager.
A communication plan will be agreed with the Gardai so that the wardens and lifeguards know who to contact should an incident occur on the beach.
3.8 Lifeguards
Life Guards are employed by Meath County Council. Two Life Guards are on duty at any one time and operate on weekends during the month of June and on a seven day week basis during July and August. All the lifeguards employed by Meath County Council must have a current Irish Water Safety, National Beach Lifeguard Award or equivalent qualification as recognised by the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS). Lifeguards have a number of different responsibilities, as indicated in the Table 3.2.
Table 3.2: Duties of the Beach Lifeguards
|
Daily Duties |
Hazards / Risks |
|
Check weather for appropriate flag to be erected Check tide Wear official lifeguard clothing that is provided by the County Council at all times when on duty Put out Temporary Signage
Keep the assigned area clear of all hazards and remove same as required e.g. broken glass etc Check all signs and life-saving equipment on beach daily Reports to MCC on the state of all rescue equipment, facilities and supplies |
Priority must be given to the Swimmers / First Aid
Warns the public of dangerous conditions and post warning devices |
|
Beach Bye-Laws |
Water Safety |
|
Explains state and local bye-laws and regulations Investigates complaints and accidents |
Beach Patrol must take place regularly Supervises and assists in rescue operations Administers medical aid and performs cardio-pulmonary resuscitation Coordinates with and requests assistance from other agencies as required Log all accident and incident reports in book provided |
3.9 Complaints Procedure
Complaints about the beach, its services, or incidents on the beach may be received from members of the public by the Beach Manager, Beach Wardens, Lifeguards, or other Officials of Meath County Council.
Complaints may be verbal or written, but in all cases should be logged. The Beach Manager, who investigates and retains a record of all complaints, should then be supplied with details of the complaint.
The Beach Manager will pass the complaint on to the appropriate Office at Meath County Council dependant on the nature of the complaint. This will then be investigated and the complainant responded to.
The Beach Manager monitors complaints and if appropriate action may be taken to address the issue after consultation with other officers as required.
See Appendix B for more details on the complaints procedure.
3.10 Risk Assessments
All events on the beach must have a risk assessment1. The risk assessment should consider all aspects such as health and safety, environmental and welfare issues. MCC organised events are to be signed off by the Beach Manager. Any MCC activity or event that does not have a signed-off risk assessment will not be permitted.
Risk Assessments for other events not organised by MCC, should be prepared by the applicant and submitted in accordance with the event management guidelines.
An example Risk Assessment template is found in the Appendix C2.
The Beach Manager / MCC will be responsible for preparing a generic risk assessment form that can be provided to others for information.
Footnotes
1 MCC finalised Event Management Guidelines in 2016.
2 The Risk Assessment should cover health and safety, environmental and welfare issues.