Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1381. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the operational and capital grants paid to each mountain rescue team in 2017; the basis on which this allocation was made; his plans to increase these grants in the future in view of the important work being done by mountain rescue teams on a voluntary basis; his further plans to increase the grants in 2018 to a level similar to the level that pertained in the 2008 to 2010 period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54810/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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My Department, through the Irish Coast Guard, administers an annual grant scheme to Mountain Rescue Ireland, the umbrella organisation for mountain rescue teams on the island of Ireland, and to associated membership teams. However, it is important to recognise that the Garda Síochána have responsibility for the co-ordination of mountain rescue teams under the framework for major emergency management.

In administering this grant, my Department liaises with Mountain Rescue Ireland and relevant statutory bodies each year to review grant expenditure matters. It is a matter for individual teams to decide how the allocated maintenance grant is spent, as each team at local level develops its own administrative and operational practices. Going into 2018, there are 11 mountain rescue teams in Ireland that will be able to avail of grant funding.

Please see the following table setting out the expenditure for 2017. The grant aid took place in line with previous years and the grants are tiered to reflect regional activity. Mountain Rescue Ireland also receives an annual development grant, which for the past three years, it has invested in maintaining a "Tetra" communications system. I can confirm that the budget for grant aid in 2018 is set at the same level as that of 2017.

ANNUAL GRANTS- MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAMS