Written answers
Thursday, 23 March 2006
Department of Transport
Departmental Bodies
5:00 pm
Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for Transport the numbers employed by county in the coast guard service; their role and responsibilities; the future for the coast guard service; the number of posts not filled at the moment in each county area; the cost of the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11393/06]
Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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A total of 81.5 posts are assigned to the coast guard, which is part of the Department of Transport since 1 January 2006. Table I provides details by county of filled and unfilled posts within the coast guard together with their roles and responsibilities. Table II provides details of the cost of the coast guard services.
With regard to the future development of the coast guard, it is proposed to transfer its headquarters to Drogheda as part of the Government's decentralisation programme. The move has been identified as a phase one project and the Office of Public Works is seeking a suitable site for the development with the objective of completing the move as quickly as possible. I have also asked coast guard management to finalise its assessment of the needs of the rescue co-ordination centre arrangements with a view to undertaking necessary development and re-equipping work.
| Table 1: Irish Coast Guard Posts, Roles and Responsibilities | ||||
| County | Posts filled | Posts not filled | Role | Responsibilities |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Director | Head of Coast Guard and responsible for all functions. Functions are managed under headings Operations, Engineering, and Administration. |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations Assistant Director | Responsible for Operations, which has four Branches: — Pollution/Salvage, — Search and Rescue, (SAR), — Voluntary Services and Training, and, — Stores. Operations manage the emergency response provided by voluntary Search and Rescue (SAR) services, including 54 Coastal Units, and the 4 helicopter emergency response airport bases, at Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo. It also manages voluntary SAR services declared resources to the Coast Guard, e.g., RNLI and Community Inshore Rescue Services. |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Engineering Assistant Director | Engineering maintains a radio communications network to provide a listening watch on distress channels, co-ordination of SAR resources, broadcast of weather forecasts and navigation warnings, and provision of a ship telephony service. The network has capacity for adequate transmission/ reception for radio communication for persons in all waters and land areas within the Ireland Search and Rescue Region. |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations Pollution / Salvage Manager | Responsible for Ireland's response to all incidents of actual or potential pollution of marine waters within the Irish Pollution Responsibility Zone, (IPRZ) and for salvage management. |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations SAR Manager | Responsible for the co-ordination of SAR response which emanates from the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre and its two sub-Centres, one at Malin Head and one at Valentia. |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations Voluntary Services & Training (VS&T) Manager | Responsible for provision of all training, equipment, vehicles, accommodation, running costs and overheads for the Coast Guard's 54 Coastal Units. Responsible for liaison with IRCG declared resources, including inland voluntary groups. |
| Dublin | — | — | Operations Stores Management | Stores Branch is managed by Head of Engineering, (for Engineering equipment), the Pollution / Salvage Manager (for Pollution/Salvage equipment) and the VS&T Manager, (for Coastal Unit equipment). |
| Dublin | 2 | 1 | Operations Training and Operations Officer — VS&T | Responsible for on-the-ground provision of training and equipment for 54 Coastal Units and all other organisational and technical matters affecting the individual volunteer Units. |
| Dublin | — | 3 | Operations Training and Operations Officer — Pollution/Salvage | Responsible for on-the-ground management of all pollution and salvage issues in the Irish Pollution Responsibility Zone, (IPRZ). |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations Divisional Controller | Responsible for management of the Dublin Divisional preparedness |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations Deputy Divisional Controller | Responsible to Divisional Controller of the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre. |
| Dublin | 8 | 2 | Operations Station Officer | Responsible for co-ordination of distress or emergency calls. |
| Dublin | 9 | — | Operations Watch Officer | Responsible for co-ordination of distress or emergency calls. |
| Dublin | 2 | — | Engineering Electronics Officer | Responsible for maintenance, improvement and expansion of the IRCG radio communications network. |
| Dublin | — | 1 | Engineering Engineering and Operations Officer | Responsible for maintenance, improvement and expansion of the IRCG radio communications network. |
| Dublin | 1 | — | Operations Storekeeper | Responsible for management of Stores for vehicles and equipment for 54 Coastal Units. |
| Dublin | 2 | — | Administration Higher Executive Officer | Responsible for IRCG administration. |
| Dublin | 1 | 1 | Administration Executive Officer | Responsible for IRCG administration. |
| Dublin | 3.3 | 0.2 | Administration Clerical Officer | Responsible for IRCG administration. |
| Donegal | 1 | — | Operations Divisional Controller | Responsible for management of the Malinhead Divisional preparedness. |
| Donegal | 1 | — | Operations Deputy Divisional Controller | Responsible to Divisional Controller of the Marine Rescue sub-Centre. |
| Donegal | 9 | — | Operations Station Officer | Responsible for co-ordination of distress or emergency calls. |
| Donegal | 5 | — | Operations Watch Officer | Responsible for co-ordination of distress or emergency calls. |
| Donegal | 1 | — | Engineering Engineering and Operations Officer | Responsible for maintenance, improvement and expansion of the IRCG radio communications network. |
| Donegal | 1 | — | Administration Service Attendant | Support of Malin Head Marine Rescue sub-Centre. |
| Kerry | — | 1 | Operations Divisional Controller | Responsible for management of Valentia Divisional preparedness. |
| Kerry | 1 | — | Operations Deputy Divisional Controller | Responsible to Divisional Controller of the Marine Rescue sub-Centre. |
| Kerry | 6 | 3 | Operations Station Officer | Responsible for co-ordination of distress or emergency calls. |
| Kerry | 9 | — | Operations Watch Officer | Responsible for co-ordination of distress or emergency calls. |
| Kerry | 1 | — | Administration Service Attendant | Support of Valentia Marine Rescue sub-Centre. |
| Cork | 1 | — | Engineering Electronics Officer | Responsible for maintenance, improvement and expansion of the IRCG radio communications network. |
| Cork | 1 | — | Administration Clerical Officer | Responsible for IRCG administration. |
| Co. not assigned | — | 1 | Engineering Senior Engineering & Operations Officer | Responsible for maintenance, improvement and expansion of the IRCG radio communications network. |
| Total | * 73.3 | 13.2 | — | — |
| *There are five station officer vacancies in IRCG. These vacancies will be filled from the watch officer, at present totalling 24 officers, thus reducing the number of the latter posts to 19. |
| Table 2: Irish Coast Guard — cost of services | |
| Item | Allocation for 2006 |
| â'¬000 | |
| A. Administrative Budget | |
| (1) Salaries and Overtime | 4,831 |
| (2) Travel and Subsistence | 300 |
| (3) Other, (meetings, couriers, etc.) | 8 |
| Sub-total | 5,139 |
| B. Cost of Supply of IRCG Services | |
| (4) Operations | |
| (a) Current | 28,610 |
| (b) Capital | 1,580 |
| (5) Engineering | |
| (a) Current | 1,058 |
| (b) Capital | 1,220 |
| Sub-total | 32,468 |
| Total | 37,607 |
| Note: The above figures only relate to those services provided directly by the coast guard and do not include the cost of support services such as human resources, information technology, public relations and legal services provided centrally by the Department for all functions, including the coast guard, under its remit. |
Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has information on the provision of new premises for the Crosshaven coast guard; if a list of capital projects exists for coast guard units and the area in which Crosshaven may exist on such a list. [11504/06]
Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As I indicated in my reply in the House to Question No. 137 on 9 March, the OPW is reserving a site for a modern station house for Crosshaven coastal unit at the Coast Guard Cottages premises in Crosshaven, County Cork. The coast guard of my Department maintains a list of capital projects for provision of station houses for coastal units. While the capital budget 2006 has been allocated, the Crosshaven project remains a priority and will be considered for advancement at the earliest date.
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