Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has consulted with the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body in relation to the proposed closure, downgrading or centralising of Malin Head Coast Guard Station; the reason there is a plan to close a station, which has an excellent cross border working relationship with their northern counterparts in Belfast and an equally excellent working relationship with their colleagues in Clyde in Scotland; if it is Government policy to go against the policy of the Belfast Agreement and against INTERREG policy objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11389/08]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has consulted with the Good Friday Implementation Committee to discuss the proposed plan to centralise, downgrade or close Malin Head Coast Guard Station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11390/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 and 460 together.

I have not formally discussed the question of the location of Irish Coast Guard Co-ordination Centres with the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body or with the Good Friday Implementation Committee; however any new centre should be capable of meeting our international obligations well into the future. Synergies with the UK and Northern Irish Coastguard are however currently under discussion at an official level.

Any changes will have no adverse impact on the ongoing close cooperation between the Irish Coast Guard and the Northern Ireland Coastguard of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).