Parents warned of new safety laws governing bouncy castles ahead of busy Communion season

Parents across Ireland who planning to hire bouncy castles this summer are being urged to be be vigilant following the passing of new legislation governing their rental.

Ahead of the busy Communion season, the Irish Inflatable Hirers Federation (IIHF) is advising members of the public to ensure they are not breaking the law.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2024, which was enacted late last year, a valid certificate of safety is now required for all inflatables which are rented out or used by members of the public.

Failure to comply with this requirement is a criminal offence and may also have insurance implications.

"Every inflatable in Ireland that is hired out to the public, that even if it's a private hire, must have a safety cert. That is now law and it is a criminal activity if we don't do it," said Glenn Tector, PRO of IIHF.

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He told Newstalk Breakfast that there are "an awful lot" of operators who don't have bouncy castles which are tested to the  European EN14960 standard.

"The IIHS was set up to bring everybody together and one of our themes is that we use two (certification) standards called RPII and PIPA. Those are our two testing standards and we know that every member of the IIHS has their castles tested to this standard," he said, adding that this makes securing insurance an easier process.

While the vast majority of bouncy castles and inflatables are entirely safe, the advice to parents is to look for a safety cert and make sure that the person they're hiring off is insured.