Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of Doolin Coast Guard, which is of great concern in County Clare. I am not sure if the Deputy Leader is aware of the fact that Doolin Coast Guard unit was stood down yesterday by the Irish Coast Guard. Let me put that in context. It is one of the longest serving and busiest Coast Guard units in the country, servicing serves the coast of counties Clare, Galway and Kerry.

The standing down of the Coast Guard is a worrying development for a number of reasons. First, 12 volunteers have been stood down and I want a clear answer from the Minister for Transport as to why that has happened. Can he guarantee the safety of people off the Clare coast at this moment in time given the fact that the Doolin Coast Guard is one of the busiest units? If an accident occurs off the Clare coast we will have to rely on the Aran Islands service. They are great people but they can only do so much. I want the Minister to assure us that he is satisfied with the emergency response that will be available if an accident or tragedy occurs off the Clare coast.

I want him to outline when the Coast Guard intends to reinstate the Doolin Coast Guard. What are the plans? Are we talking about days, weeks, months or years? Will Doolin Coast Guard be reinstated at all?

The current situation is unacceptable but the overall picture in terms of Coast Guard volunteers needs to be addressed. We are an island nation and it is not acceptable that we must rely on a largely volunteer-run Coast Guard operation. Proper terms and conditions for Coast Guard volunteers need to be introduced. At the moment a good fire service model operates throughout rural Ireland where volunteers are paid a retainer fee and paid per call-out. It would be reasonable for the Coast Guard to have the same facility where a retainer and call-out fees are provided. I also believe that the scheme could be operated by the local authorities.

A number of years ago I tabled Commencement matters on this issue in this House which the then Minister, Shane Ross, addressed but nothing happened. The fact that one of the most successful Coast Guard units in the country was stood down yesterday has escalated this issue to a point where action is urgently needed.We need to look after, respect and pay these front-line workers.