Mr. Maurice Mullen:

I can understand fully the sentiments being expressed and the deeply held concerns. We agree with the idea of local knowledge and input. The contribution those services have made and continue to make is fantastic. Deputy Fleming asked an interesting question and suggested that it if was not broken, then why fix it. We believe a considerable part of the service is working very well in this case but the consultants have pointed to things that are not working well and we must address these. That is incumbent on the management side. Even as we speak, there is a drive towards information technology development and a far more integrated approach to the service. We are dealing with functionality rather than simply the geographic location of services. It may be the case that geographic location is less important in terms of the way in which we ultimately address the problem.

I emphasise that a considerable amount of consultation has taken place. Neither the Department nor the Coast Guard in any way directed how the consultation should go. We asked Fisher Associates to go out on the ground. They went to the stations and consulted a considerable number of local interests and stakeholders but we stood back from that. We did not direct that they should go to any particular group. In fact we do not know all the individuals with whom they consulted. I emphasise that we have not decided on the merit of these recommendations or on the context in which ultimately we bring them forward. This goes back to the idea of an integrated service. Even if we retain three stations, the future of the service must involve a far greater integrated approach. This is how we must think about it but it is a complex thing.

Another major issue for us is the resource issue. We must deal with the issue of value for money. The world has changed for all of us and that is the position we are in at this stage. We must see how we can use the resources better to provide services across the board within the Coast Guard and to address the gaps in place.