Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, who cannot be here.

The Minister wishes to dispel any suggestion of a reduction in the quality of service to those engaged in maritime activities, to which a reference to decommissioning might give rise. On the contrary, recent decisions have been taken against a background of renewed investment and support for maritime safety. The Irish Coast Guard and the maritime administration within the Minister's Department is the national authority with responsibility for the promotion, regulation and enforcement of maritime safety, which includes maritime security and emergency management.

The Minister recognises its strategic role in respect of safety and security. He has already signalled his intention of giving increased focus to this sector and to doing all possible to minimise incidents and to respond effectively when they occur. While the ultimate outcome will be positive, getting there is going to present challenges for all as they work to improve and develop the service.

The search and rescue process relies totally on clear, effective and reliable communications and is, therefore, ultimately dependent on the performance of Irish Coast Guard radio and telecommunications equipment. It is this communication infrastructure which provides co-ordination centres with the capability of receiving distress messages and communicating with and co-ordinating rescue resources. The Irish Coast Guard currently has its main radio switch and control equipment located at three manned sites around the country. These are at Leeson Lane in Dublin, Malin and Valentia. Dublin is the marine rescue co-ordination centre, MRCC, while Valentia and Malin are marine rescue sub-centres, MRSCs, each with delegated authority from the MRCC to co-ordinate responses to marine emergencies in its area of responsibility.

A Deloitte & Touche report on the Irish Coast Guard in 2002 recommended that two centres should be operated on the basis that each would be capable of supporting the entire national network. Much of the equipment at the three centres is old and in urgent need of replacement. The decision to operate the service from two centres will allow the required upgrade and replacement of equipment to proceed. Any delay in this process could leave the Department of Transport vulnerable to serious failure in the system. Since the report was issued, consideration has been given to a number of options as to how best to proceed. These included proposals to close Dublin and retain the other two centres. Consideration was also given to retaining an east coast centre and one of the other centres.

Following the transfer of the maritime transport functions to the Department on 1 January 2006, the Minister's predecessor asked officials to review current and proposed arrangements for the delivery of these services. As part of this review, the needs of each of the rescue co-ordination units were finalised with a view to undertaking the necessary development and re-equipping work. As a result, the Minister has confirmed that the Irish Coast Guard and maritime administration will decentralise to Drogheda. He has confirmed that there will be a two-centre operation geographically separated as previously recommended. The MRCC will, in line with decentralisation decisions, be co-located with headquarters in Drogheda. The MRSC will be in an urban or near-urban location on the west coast. The Irish Coast Guard is to proceed with the tendering process for new integrated communications system equipment for a two-centre operation for delivery and commissioning in 2009.

It is important to stress that there is no suggestion that Malin or Valentia will be closed or disposed of as Irish Coast Guard locations nor will there be a diminution in the quality of the emergency response capability on the west coast. The stationswill be retained as part of the Coast Guard infrastructure and some operations will continue to be delivered from these locations, although the precise nature of their long-term function has yet to be finalised.

It is important to emphasise that detailed proposals on the implementation of the strategic decisions have now to be finalised. The Minister has given direction for the medium to long-term development and improvement of the Coast Guard. The process of migrating from the present situation to the new developments will be planned and implemented in consultation. That process will take account of the safety needs of local communities, the ongoing improvement of the service to the public and the concerns of individual staff members.

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