Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

My apologies. Valentia Island marine rescue centre is the only one in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales or France that can communicate with Spanish-speaking sailors when their vessels are in difficulty. That is why the Ambassador is in the House today.

The 2002 Deloitte & Touche report made several recommendations for the new locations for marine rescue centres. The Minister responsible at the time, Deputy Dermot Ahern, agreed to expand Malin and Valentia. That report, recommendation and order were not acted upon for many years until a new Minister came into office. We are being told that the Valentia Island centre is not being closed. It is being wound down through natural wastage as men retire. Eventually only the noise of machines will be heard there. The staff will be centralised in urban locations on the east and west coasts.

The 16 page report issued last year to close the centres is full of lies and deception. The first lie is: "At present about half of the staff do not live in either home MRSC county." There are 14 staff in Valentia, 11 of whom live in County Kerry. The second lie is: "New staff require access to schools, shopping and leisure facilities and employment for partners." Of the 11 members of staff who live in County Kerry, ten of their spouses are in employment. Coláiste na Sceilige, the secondary school in Cahirciveen, sends 80% of its leaving certificate class to third level education. One cannot get better facilities.

The third lie concerns the electricity supply to which my colleague, Senator Coghlan referred. Tadhg O'Donoghue, former head of ESB, said that outages on the island should be no more nor less than in any other part of the country. His mother lives on Valentia Island and he is from the island.