A €50,000 fine or up to five years in prison could be on the cards for anyone who interferes with a defibrillator or life buoy, under new laws before the Seanad today.
Senators will consider the Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017, which's proposing the hefty penalties for anyone who's convicted.
Roughly 600 ring buoys are lost each year in Dublin alone, at a cost of €20,000.
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There has also been several incidents of defibrillator "tampering" in Co Monaghan in recent months.
Senator Robbie Gallagher, who's sponsoring the bill, says it's important to send out a strong message:
