Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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691. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current and future plans for the mountain rescue groups in County Wicklow; the provision of funding to assist these groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27179/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department, through the Irish Coast Guard, is responsible for the initiation, control and coordination of maritime emergencies in Irish territorial waters, harbours and coastline. The Coast Guard carries out this function utilising its own assets and declared resources. Currently, mountain rescue teams (MRT) fall under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality and are co-ordinated and tasked by An Garda Síochána (AGS) in accordance Ireland's Framework for Major Emergency Management. While it is clear that MRTs are considered a resource of AGS, my Department administers a grant scheme to the mountain rescue teams and the Coast Guard also chair the National Co-ordinating Committee for Mountain and Cave Rescue (NCCMCR).  

It is my view that a single lead Department could more effectively coordinate and manage the mountain rescue service and provide oversight of the service providers, i.e. volunteer mountain and cave rescue teams. I discussed this recently with the Minister for Justice and Equality with a view to exploring the options available. At the Mountain Rescue Ireland (MRI) AGM earlier this year I undertook to consider the possibility of providing a capital grant to assist mountain rescue services for the purchase of equipment. This matter is still under consideration but I hope to make a decision on this shortly.