Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We in the Rural Independent Group would like to use this opportunity to commend the Civil Defence volunteers on their selflessness and dedication during the pandemic and other challenging times or emergency situations. The former Minister for Defence, Deputy Simon Coveney, correctly recognised the immense and enormous role played by these volunteers in Ireland's response to the spread of Covid-19 at an event honouring their work in Dublin's Croke Park last November. We understand that over 300 volunteers received a specially designed medal for their efforts in 2020 and 2021, and a total of 1,100 medals were to be distributed following the event. It is to be hoped these medals have been delivered to each of the volunteers since then. The country owes each and every volunteer our heartfelt appreciation for stepping up during many challenging times. These volunteers reached out during the pandemic to the most vulnerable members of society and provided much-needed comfort. In doing so, they helped to reduce feelings of isolation. For those efforts, the Civil Defence's contribution will always be remembered and their efforts will always be appreciated.

There are over 3,500 volunteers in the Civil Defence. As Deputy McGrath has said, we cannot forget the Order of Malta, the Red Cross, cliff and rescue groups and all of the other volunteers who put their lives at risk at times to help other people, whether that involves searching for people and doing whatever else needs to be done. The Civil Defence and others have always been there for the people. Its volunteers undertook 9,500 tasks during the pandemic, including medical appointments, testing, delivering food and medication and assisting in the HSE vaccination centres. I would like to pay a personal tribute to each and every volunteer. As I said to Red Cross members, many people do a lot of dedicated work without any proper recognition. I will mention as an example Dr. Jason van der Velde, who runs the Jeep for Jason service in west Cork. Every evening, he turns on his monitor and phone and takes calls on a voluntary basis. The local community in Ballinascarthy has raised funds for him and purchased a jeep so he can carry out this work. He has saved many lives on the roadside when other emergency services may not have been able to attend as quickly as he can.

The national fire service needs to be commended. It does a lot of tough and hard work on the roadsides. Work on the Clonakilty fire station has not yet started. Staff there have asked me to keep going with the fight to make sure that happens. Such people need to be commended. Any Bill that will help the Civil Defence and others is something I will support. I would also like to remember the air ambulance service, an organisation which is in existence thanks to people fundraising on a daily basis and its volunteers. I commend those working in Cancer Connect in my constituency, Cork South-West. It looks after people from Castletownbere, the Mizen Peninsula, the Sheep's Head Peninsula and throughout west Cork. It takes people to and from Cork on a daily basis. Funding was promised for the service from the Government, which unfortunately did not come. We have to continue to carry out voluntary work and do more fundraising for the service. Cancer Connect comprises 100% volunteers. Nobody is making any profit out of it. It is an area that needs to be looked at. Today is about the Civil Defence. I will certainly support the Bill.

See this speech in context