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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Defibrillator damaged in Kilcogy
The damage caused to a defibrillator in Kilcogy recently, illustrates the need for the enactment of legislation to address the issue, a Fianna Fáil senator has claimed.
The Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017 has been published by Senator Dr Keith Swanick (FF) and could allow for a jail sentence or imposition of a huge fine on those convicted of tampering with life saving devices like defibrillators and lifebuoys.
“The incident in Kilcogy is a disgrace because the defibrillator box was vandalised, meaning that the defibrillator will have to be removed until the box is repaired,” Dr Swanick added.
“The Kilcogy Community Development group put this defibrillator in place so that it would help people who became critically ill."
He went on to say that vandals needed to know that there were serious consequences following the theft of, or damage to, life saving equipment such as defibrillators or lifebuoys.
“To tackle this issue I have drafted a new piece of legislation called the Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017 which could jail and or impose a huge fine on those convicted of tampering with life saving device such as a defibrillator or lifebuoy,” said the Fianna Fail senator.
Meanwhile the legislation is due to be debated in the coming weeks.
“The incident in Kilcogy highlights again, the need for strong legislation to act as a serious deterrent to the thugs who routinely damage or steal life saving equipment all over Ireland,” Dr Swanick added.
“To put pressure on the Government I have a public online petition to support the Life Saving Equipment Bill.”
The petition has over 15000 signatures and can be signed at
https://www.change.org/p/oireachtas-support-the-life-saving-equipment-bill-2017
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