John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

The debate over the last couple of hours has raised many interesting and useful points. I assure the House that I will pass the Senators' extensive comments on the future of Malin Head and Valentia Island Coast Guard stations to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey. It is significant that a debate on maritime safety is taking place at national level. Regardless of our differences of opinion or emphasis about how best to proceed, we are seeking to improve the level of maritime safety around our coast. The Minister has repeatedly indicated his intention to make improvements in this regard. I understand that the proposed improvements range from new legislation to improvements in resources, training and equipment and the provision of new infrastructure. It will be important to ensure that investment takes place in a context in which the greatest benefits can be achieved from the financial commitments which are made.

It is universally agreed that investment in a new integrated communications system is necessary and desirable. The need to develop modern, efficient and flexible co-ordination centres not only involves the provision of such a system, but also the provision of support accommodation such as training rooms and other infrastructure, which will have to be developed with security, functionality, sustainability, resilience and flexibility in mind. We will have to pay attention to the potential future use of the building, in the context of local facilities and its strategic location. It is essential that communications centres are established on the east and west coasts and equipped to a standard that enables the Coast Guard to meet future challenges. Considerable building work will be required in the locations which are chosen. I assure the House that the work that is undertaken will not have any negative impact on the volunteers who respond to emergencies at a local level. The disruption to staff will be minimised regardless of where the new centres are located. I emphasise the deep appreciation of the work done by those working in the centres. The valuable role played by the staff of the rescue co-ordination centre, who plan and co-ordinate responses to marine emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, is also recognised.

Comparisons have been made in correspondence to the international benchmarking of the watch officers. Such officers in the UK are paid a maximum of £18,500, compared with a maximum of €51,000 for officers of the same grade in the Coast Guard. While the UK has no marine rescue sub-centres, it has 18 marine rescue co-ordination centres, with approximately 450 staff, to cover an area of responsibility of 2 million sq. km. The UK employs an average of 25 staff per centre, which is similar to this country's proposed two-centre model. When an incident arises, the staff who listen for distress signals and monitor automatic alerting systems day and night are the first point of call. They seek the relevant information from appropriate sources, assess and task the search and rescue resources needed to deal with the incident, ascertain a vessel's location, condition and intention and, if appropriate, designate and advise an on-scene co-ordinator.

The Minister for Transport is determined that the emergency management expertise that has been developed will not be lost during the process of modernising the Coast Guard. He is keen to ensure that it is retained for future generations. I reiterate that at an individual level, no one will lose his or her job in this process. Nobody will be forced to move to a new location. This policy presents challenges, as it does in the decentralisation programme. Such challenges are being discussed with the staff involved and will be overcome during the ongoing consultation with them. The sequence of this change was outlined to staff at formal meetings which were held in Malin Head, Valentia Island and Dublin in November 2007. The next step in the sequence will be to identify the west coast location and to ascertain the interest of staff in that location. Staff have been advised that a clearer picture will emerge at that point. Formal discussions with staff representatives on any changes that might arise will then commence. The director of the Coast Guard has been in ongoing informal contact with the relevant union branch representative. The director recently distributed copies of the Deloitte & Touche report, which was originally made public in 2003, to all his staff. Further formal meetings are scheduled for Dublin, Malin Head and Valentia Island in March and April. A meeting was held recently for all Dublin-based Coast Guard maritime administration staff whose functions it is proposed to transfer. The potential restructuring has also been discussed by the relevant committees on which organisations with an interest in search and rescue services are represented.

Officials from the Department of Transport have written to the ESB stating that the Coast Guard would like to improve the resilience of electricity power supply to Malin Head and Valentia Island Coast Guard stations to the standard of that supplied to the station at Leeson Lane in Dublin. They cited their record of the number of times the uninterrupted power supply systems have automatically switched to battery back-up power on foot of supply threshold abnormalities in the incoming power supply. They pointed out that these events occur at Malin Head and Valentia Island ten times more frequently than at the Coast Guard's uninterrupted power supply systems in the Dublin area. They asked the ESB to provide costed proposals to achieve a similar standard of power supply at Malin Head and Valentia Island stations to that experienced in Dublin.

Departmental officials have asked Eircom to produce specific proposals and cost comparisons for the enhancement of the communications services at Malin Head and Valentia Island. It is hoped that Eircom can provide the capacity to ensure flexible and full operational coverage of Ireland's marine emergency management needs. Consideration is also being given to the possibility of locating the communications centre at an alternative west coast location, such as Limerick or Shannon. The cost, engineering and operational merits and limitations of such locations will be compared to those of the existing centres at Malin Head and Valentia Island before a decision is made. Senators will appreciate that the examination by Department of Transport officials of the best possible option for the Coast Guard and those who are at risk at sea will focus on how the marine rescue emergency service can best be delivered efficiently and effectively. In making the final decision, the Minister will consider a range of wider socioeconomic factors, as well as the case made by local representatives, local community groups and individuals. The Tánaiste announced on budget day that each Department is to undertake an efficiency review of expenditure. The specific requirement to consider possible inefficiencies will have a bearing on the final decision in this instance.

It is important not to lose sight of the driving force behind this process, which is marine safety in general. The Coast Guard needs to continue to improve its service to the public using available resources. I emphasise that these decisions will be taken against a background of increased focus on and support for the maritime safety sector. The Minister's intention is that the Coast Guard and maritime administration will continue to be enhanced over the coming years. The changes to be made will improve emergency response services throughout the country and help to reduce loss of life at sea, particularly for coastal communities. A wide range of views has been expressed not only over the last couple of hours but also in representations the Minister has received from diverse sources. They will be taken into account before final decisions are made. One undeniable benefit from the discussion is a heightened awareness of marine safety. This will lead to a reinforced commitment to ensure the provision of a world-class service of which we can be immensely proud. The commitment by the Minister for Transport to develop a service that reflects Ireland's key position as a maritime nation on the western approaches to Europe will require significant commitment, focus and change in the years ahead. I thank Senators for their contributions during this debate.