Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is an urgent need to reopen the Doolin Coast Guard station. The volunteers there live locally and have a response time of minutes. The other stakeholders who now provide cover are too far away. Kilkee coast guard unit is 55 km away, Ennistymon fire brigade is 18 km away and the Civil Defence in Ennis is 32 km away. Most worryingly of all, the Aran Islands lifeboat which, operating in average sea conditions, takes a full hour to launch and be at sea. The Doolin launch time is approximately 15 minutes. The 12 volunteers who remain at Doolin are highly skilled. There are many competencies they can still fulfil. I ask that, in the interests of public safety, the station be reopened as a matter of urgency.