Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Transport if the jobs in Valentia Coast Guard Radio Station are safe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1041/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 525: To ask the Minister for Transport the decision made and the reasoning behind the closing of Valentia Coast Guard station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1042/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 526: To ask the Minister for Transport if the 2002 Deloitte and Touche report on the Coast Guard has been updated in the past six years; and if he has taken all the current facts into his decision. [1043/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Transport the benefit of moving the Coast Guard operation from Valentia to a new location. [1044/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 528: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will confirm the new Coast Guard location and confirm that staff of equal qualifications, ability and experience will be available at the new locations. [1045/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 529: To ask the Minister for Transport if the €2 million investment in essential equipment for the Coast Guard which he identified in November 2007 has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1046/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 530: To ask the Minister for Transport if discussions have been held with the various interested parties regarding the closure of Valentia Coast Guard including staff, lifeboats, local rescue services, fishing and commercial marine users, sailing clubs, Gardaí and other members of the maritime community; and the parties with whom these discussions have taken place. [1047/08]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 542: To ask the Minister for Transport the functions to be allotted to Valentia and Malin Head centres under the restructuring of the Marine Rescue Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1501/08]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 558: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will release the Coast Guard Management report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1888/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 to 530, inclusive, 542 and 558 together.

It is my intention that the Irish Coast Guard and Maritime Administration will be strengthened on an ongoing basis over the coming years. My ambition is to put in place a service that will fully meet the needs of this country well in the 21st century. These recent decisions referred to have been taken to reflect the future optimal configuration of co-ordination centres whilst ensuring that the detailed technical knowledge and experience of the Coast Guard Watch Officers is retained and fully utilised. I want to restate again that no Officer will be forced to move or lose their job. The transition arrangements for new centres, including the functions to continue at Malin and Valentia, will be negotiated with staff to ensure there is no loss of expertise.

I have forwarded to the Deputies copies of the Deloitte and Touche Report. This report has provided a backdrop to ongoing improvements and developments in the Coast Guard over the last 6 years. I have also forwarded copies of the submission to me on which recent decisions were based. I am arranging for both documents to be published on the Department's website www.transport.ie.

I purposely outlined a long-term scenario to provide structure to negotiations, which are now taking place, on how best to implement this particular step in the modernisation of the Irish Coast Guard. I have given direction to the tendering process, where a Request for Tender is now in preparation, and given enough notice to enable difficulties to be identified and resolved before equipment has to be installed. I have made it clear that these discussions, which are underway, must take account of the safety needs of local communities, and ongoing improvement of the service to the public, and the concerns of individual staff members. As I indicated previously the proposed restructuring was raised at the relevant committees on which the relevant organisations that have an interest in search and rescue are represented.

I also want to take this opportunity to make two general statements related to the issue. Firstly, I am concerned that there is confusion in the public mind between the work done in Co-Ordination centres and that undertaken by local volunteers. A significant element of 'local knowledge' is from the local Coast Guard Coastal Units and lifeboat crews strategically positioned around our coast. Their local knowledge of tides, currents, bays and local historical incident locations is invaluable to the Watch Officers of the Coast Guard. I would like to put on record again my appreciation of the selfless voluntary efforts of the Coast Guard, RNLI lifeboat and Community Rescue Boat crews in rescuing those in trouble on our coasts, cliffs and offshore islands.

Secondly, the Coast Guard restructuring that is being worked on is aimed at improving the efficiency of a key public service. The Deputies will be aware that subsequently, in his budget day announcement, the Tánaiste asked that each Department undertake an efficiency review of expenditure. The Review is specifically required to consider possible inefficiencies due to the multiplicity of Boards and Agencies; the need for better sharing of certain services, efficiencies in management, travel and consumables in general. My Department is in the process of evaluating options and this includes examining the similarities in service provision in the Department and its agencies — particularly in the safety area — to consider whether there are duplicating or overlapping functions which could be more efficiently delivered through the amalgamation, abolition or reduction of bodies, or pooling services. The position in relation to Coast Guard services is being considered in that context and with the benefit of the many comments that I have received since the restructuring proposal was announced. I can assure the Deputies that all the views expressed will be taken into account before a west coast location is determined.