Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the closure of the Doolin Coast Guard station in County Clare on Tuesday. This fabulous Coast Guard station opened in 2015 at a cost of around €2 million. There are 18 people working there, nearly all of whom are volunteers. Six of them resigned this week due to: "... irreconcilable divisions that have unfortunately existed within the unit for a number of years". That spake is coming from the Irish Coast Guard itself. I urge the Government, the Minister and the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, who is seated beside him, to urgently intervene. These people are volunteers. They are highly valued. They support and help people who go to see and put their lives at risk by patrolling that coastline area. The problem is best evidenced by a text I received last night, which states:

Cathal, as I write this text I am looking at rescue helicopter 115 searching for a person reported missing at the Cliffs of Moher, and no support available from Doolin Rescue.

We need this rescue service back. We need Government intervention.

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