The Chief Executive of Irish Water Safety has criticised the Tánaiste and a Kilkenny junior minister for not wearing lifejackets while inspecting the floods in Thomastown.
Joan Burton and Ann Phelan were photographed in a canoe in the Kilkenny town earlier this month, with the Labour leader infamously falling into the water as a result.
Both TDs later laughed off the incident.
But John Leech of Irish Water Safety says it was no laughing matter.
"It's the law that they should wear a lifejacket when in a canoe so I was obviously disappointed that they weren't wearing one", he said.
"I'm sure it was just an oversight but it's not a good one for the leaders of our country to miss out on. Lifejackets save lives all the time and we need people to wear one, it's a bit like driving your car without a seatbelt on".
Mr. Leech didn't go as far as to say the Tánaiste acted irresponsibly, but said "it was a shame" that the organisers of the flood inspection didn't ensure that lifejackets were made available.
