Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator McHugh for making a strong and sensible case. I assure the House that the training he mentioned is well under way and has almost been completed.

The Mulroy coastal unit is one of 54 such units at strategic locations around the coast. The units are operated by male and female volunteers who make themselves available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist in marine emergencies which require their assistance. Each coastal unit has a capability and a range of equipment, including radio communications, marine rescue gear, cliff rescue gear, support boats and vehicles, which is appropriate to its location. The Mulroy unit, which is a cliff climbing and boat team, is manned by 20 volunteers and led by an area officer and deputy area officer. It received a new 7.9 m Foyle class delta rigid inflatable boat, or RIB, on 12 October last. The unit has a four-wheel drive vehicle for pulling the boat, a transit van for carrying cliff climbing equipment and an all-terrain vehicle with trailer. The originalMulroy coast guard boat suffered extensive damage during a search and rescue operation in May 2004. The boat was temporarily replaced by a smaller Searider boat from the training fleet, pending the delivery of the 7.9 m Foyle class Delta RIB.

A programme of instruction for the Mulroy team in preparation for the introduction of the new RIB has been in place for several months. That included rescue boat training in Wicklow in May 2004, followed by additional training in September and October for several members. A shore-based navigation training module is under way for the Mulroy unit at the BIM Fishery Training School in Greencastle and is expected to be completed later this week.

It is expected that final servicing and commissioning of the boat, which has been undertaken by a specialist contractor, will be completed within ten days. Immediately thereafter, Irish Coast Guard training and operations officers will conduct the final at-sea training element before the new boat is declared operational.

I am also pleased to be able to inform the House that final works to the new Mulroy station house building to accommodate the members of the unit and their new boat and vehicles are being completed in tandem with the boat training and commissioning. That work has been completed as part of the Irish Coast Guard building programme. It is anticipated that the full programme will be completed by 6 December 2004, when the new boat can be declared fully operational.

I convey my very best wishes to Mulroy coastal unit regarding its new equipment and facilities and thank the members and the local community that supports them for the invaluable service they provide. I express my personal admiration for, and my sincere appreciation of, the selfless courage shown by the entire network of coastal units and search and rescue personnel throughout the country.