Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

A couple of weeks ago in the House I spoke about the crisis in the Coast Guard. Some days after that, I attended the inaugural meeting of the Irish Coast Guard Volunteers Representative Association in Kilkee. I must say that things have deteriorated to a point where, maybe this evening, we will have no volunteers in Doolin in County Clare. It looks very much like we will have no Coast Guard volunteers right along the west coast, from Clare to Kerry, at the rate things are going.

There have been a number of damning reports into the Coast Guard through the Comptroller and Auditor General, particularly regarding the procurement of night vision for a private company paid for by the taxpayer in the helicopter service and the procurement of vehicles for the Coast Guard service for towing the rigid inflatable boats, RIBs, out to sea or for bringing rescue equipment to cliffs or wherever. The vehicles that were purchased are totally unsuitable. One of the questions that I need to raise with the Coast Guard straightaway is how many tractors have we bought because I understand it has had to buy tractors to drag the equipment out to sea.

We are in a situation where the Coast Guard service is largely voluntary. The allegations that are being made - they are allegations at this stage - are that there is severe bullying and harassment going on within the service. The allegations are that if one raises an issue of concern one will be greeted with thanks for one's interest and concern. Some days later a senior officer will arrive at one's house and tell one one's services are no longer required. This is dividing communities. Most of us here come from rural areas and we know how closely knit communities are. In particular, coastal communities are extremely closely knit, and where one gets an organisation that is starting to split down the middle, there are the insiders and the outsiders. It is dividing coastal communities. It is really serious.

I am bringing the matter up today because the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications will look at this issue but the Minister must act immediately in order to save the service. There will not be a service at the rate things are going in a couple of weeks' time. This is frightening for the people in western coastal areas who depend on this service. We have many cliffs and some dangerous seas. Something that came to light when we attended that meeting was that a couple of weeks before Caitríona Lucas lost her life in west Clare, the Coast Guard was warned that the way things were going the next time it visited there it would be for a funeral. Sure enough, a few weeks later it was a funeral.

First and foremost, we have to commend the volunteers who give of their time all of the time to deliver these services but if there is a problem there, it needs to be rooted out straightaway from the top down. I would ask the Leader, on behalf of the Seanad, to write to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, and ask him to immediately instigate an investigation. I have written to him today.