Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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88. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding and grants available to mountain search and rescue groups and those engaged in such rescue activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4175/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Mountain Rescue Teams are voluntary search and rescue organisations that provide a mountain rescue service in a number of locations in the Republic of Ireland. They are tasked by An Garda Síochána and frequently work alongside other search and rescue organisations in the course of training and missions. They are part granted aided by the State, via an annual grant first distributed in 1983.

The Department of Transport provides an annual "Mountain Rescue Grant", which certain voluntary organisations may avail of on application. This arrangement underwent a significant review in 2019 and an increase in funding to these teams was provided in 2020 on foot of this review.

In 2020 the grant was issued to ten mountain rescue teams, all constituent members of Mountain Rescue Ireland, as well as The Search and Rescue Dogs Association, which is also a member of Mountain Rescue Ireland, and the Irish Cave and Rescue Organisation.