Mr. Michael Murray:

I thank the chair and committee members for the invitation to attend the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications and to assist it in its discussion of the Irish Coast Guard. I am a fisherman and a farmer and I live in Cleggan, Connemara, County Galway. I have been an unpaid volunteer with the Cleggan unit of the Irish Coast Guard for 30 years. I have served as a volunteer officer in charge, OIC, of that unit since 2014. The Cleggan unit is a dual-function unit, in that it is a search and drone unit. The Cleggan unit is not a boat unit, nor does it have a cliff rescue team. I lead a unit of 15 volunteers who respond 24-7 to emergency calls in the north Connemara area. From 2022 to date, we have been tasked to 18 incidents. In 2021, our team responded to 43 incidents in total. This highlights the willingness and commitment of Coast Guard volunteers everywhere who give up their time without hesitation to help others.

I am accompanied today by CUAG members: Mr. Kieran Gallagher, Ballyglass Coast Guard; Ms Megan Grindrod, Doolin Coast Guard; Mr. Colin Murray, Howth Coast Guard; and Mr. Brendan Cahill, Toe Head Coast Guard. I have been a member of CUAG since 2016 and co-ordinator since 2019. In a typical year, CUAG meets quarterly and more frequently if there are agenda items that require a more intensive focus. CUAG is usually consulted by IRCG management when they are preparing standard operational procedures, SOPs, developing operational policy and when headquarters are preparing specifications for equipment and uniforms.

CUAG is a forum that enables the views of Coast Guard members from the 44 teams across the country to be conveyed to IRCG management and to shape policies and procedures where they impact on operational volunteer units in their roles. CUAG can assist OICs and volunteers in dealing with a wide variety of queries which arise in volunteer units. CUAG’s terms of reference have been reviewed and amended as part of the possible recommendation in the Mulvey report. CUAG engaged with management on assessing CUAGs role in providing a representative role in matters relating to serving volunteers, in particular, a representative role in relation to discipline, grievance and complaints and termination of membership.

The new terms of reference reflect the representative roles in these matters. CUAG has now got independent HR supports when required for volunteers, structures for secretariat support for CUAG and training in peer support for HR issues. Training is provided for newly elected members of CUAG.

Again, I thank the committee for the opportunity to contribute the volunteer and CUAG perspective to its examination of the IRCG. I am happy to answer any questions the committee members may wish to ask. In the event that I am unable to answer a specific question, I will endeavour to obtain the information and provide a written answer to the committee as quickly as possible.