Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

Very serious concerns exist in the north west at the suggestion the Malin Head Coast Guard station and marine rescue sub-centre could be closed. As the Minister of State may know, a very serious campaign was run a number of years ago when there was a threat to the stations at Malin Head and Valentia. The community across the north west including the fishing community and all of the public representatives in the region on a cross-Border basis argued the case for Malin Head and its 100 year history of service to be sustained.

Yet another report has been published, this one from Fisher Associates, recommending the closure of Malin Head. The public representatives in Donegal and the north west will ask for this recommendation to be rejected immediately. There is no logic to it in terms of savings. At present a major investment is under way at Malin Head which will be completed and open soon. Malin Head, Valentia and Dublin have the capacity to deliver all that is required. In real terms, the recommendations of the report would probably mean saving one job or two at most. A statement needs to be made urgently reassuring people in the north west our long campaign to save Malin Head does not need to be reopened. The Minister of State should be very clear that the people of the north west will fight like tigers to defend Malin Head. The fishing community and all of the representatives in the region will not accept any suggestion that the centre be closed. We have been neglected enough and there is no way we will accept any such suggestion without one hell of a fight.

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