Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

They referred to the Eircom connection being inadequate, which was refuted by Eircom, as my learned colleague on the opposite side of the House stated. They said the staff did not live within the county, which was untrue, and referred to the buildings being inadequate, which again was false.

Last year, Valentia Island was involved in almost half of all the emergency calls to the Irish Coast Guard, more than Malin and Dublin combined. When the United Kingdom and Spain closed down their coastguard stations they realised it was a mistake and reversed the decision. Valentia coastguard station is the only one in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France that can communicate with Spanish trawlers in any emergency call involving Spanish trawlers. When the RAF and the English coastguard lifeboats must winch stricken captains and seamen off their vessels, it is Valentia that is called in by the English and the French to co-ordinate such responses. Valentia staff learned Spanish of their own accord. When they asked the head of the Irish Coast Guard for Spanish tapes, they were refused.

The men in Valentia are doing an excellent job.