Mr. John Dallat, MLA:

There is no need to apologise as we regard it as a privilege to be present, not to have a debate about the spare parts but to focus on the holistic view we have of the Irish Coast Guard, particularly at Malin Head. My presence here as a Northern Ireland Assembly member is endorsed by our entire Assembly group and is supported by our 84 councillors. In addition, I am accompanied by two councillors who represent the most beautiful part of our coastline. I have served in public life for more than 30 years and this also is an opportunity for me to pay tribute to the Irish Coast Guard at Malin Head. In the past, this usually just meant a trip up to the Coast Guard station with a box of chocolates or something but it is important to have placed on the record of the Oireachtas that our respect and admiration for the Coast Guard has no limits.

Ms Orla Beattie is a member of Limavady Borough Council and was elected to represent that part of the coastline from Magilligan up to Lough Foyle. Ms Maura Hickey is the deputy mayor of Coleraine and has the privilege and honour of representing Portrush, Portstewart, Portballintrae, Castlerock and Downhill. Undoubtedly, many members will have heard mention of those seaside towns when the Coast Guard from Malin Head was instrumental in co-ordinating the saving of hundreds of lives over the years. In each case, the Coast Guard worked with the local coast guard in the North, as well as with the RNLI and the other voluntary organisations. Consequently, when people talk about centralisation, I believe anything I wish to cover will be wiped out by centralisation.

Much earlier, reference was made to the training programmes. When mayor of Coleraine, I had the privilege of attending one of the aforementioned training programmes at the University of Ulster and it was second to none. Each year, 100,000 people attend an air show in Portrush and pride of place goes to the Irish Coast Guard. While it always is dangerous to claim one speaks for everyone, on this occasion, I can make an exception. I have not a shadow of doubt but that everyone from the area and from the North will support fully my presence here today to make a bid for the retention of the Coast Guard station at Malin Head.

While we stated we would come to talk about the facts, it is difficult not to be nostalgic. Coast Guard personnel have been there since partition and some would say long beforehand. Through the darkest days of the Troubles, Coast Guard personnel kept open those lines of communication in the North. They played a major role in helping along the politicians to get to the current position. I acknowledge that consultants have no space in their reports for such things but they are important. When one has a cross-Border body that is working perfectly, it would be a shame to do anything to destroy it.

When the Good Friday Agreement was put together, cross-Border activity relating to the sea, the rivers and so on was recognised as being fundamental, which is the reason Waterways Ireland came into being. I note that during the suspension of Stormont and so on, that body carried out incredible work on the River Bann. At some point in the future, when the Ulster Canal is reopened, the River Bann will undoubtedly become the second Shannon of Ireland. The other cross-Border body is Tourism Ireland, which is charged with the responsibility of selling the coastline and rivers to the international world. The point I make is these are two cross-Border bodies which were brought into existence to promote some kind of future that presents us as a normal society. However, the one body that was working perfectly and seamlessly is under debate.

This is the second time that I have met Deputy McHugh, the first being at Malin Head four years ago, and I thought this argument was over. In the meantime, there has been an argument about Belfast Coastguard and I note that, united, we won that argument. God grant that this one will be the same. While I will not get into the environmental issues, I remind members that Malin Head is on the north Atlantic route. It faces out onto one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and I would not like to think that in the future, our efforts to co-ordinate pollution control and so on would be centralised elsewhere. There must be a major role for Malin Head. I apologise if I have offended people from Valentia. I acknowledge they have very good arguments to which I have listened.