Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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77. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a group (details supplied) can apply for funding for a new watercraft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28561/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Transport is responsible for administrative arrangements which support volunteer mountain, cave and boat rescue activity in Ireland. These arrangements consist of a grant which is formally entitled “Coastal and Inshore, Mountain and Cave Rescue Grant Current”.

The grant provides funding to Community Rescue Boats Ireland (CRBI), which constitutes the ‘Coastal and Inshore’ part of the grant’s title. CRBI units are certain voluntary rescue boat units that undertake to benchmark their training and activities against Coast Guard Boat Unit standards and may be tasked by the Coast Guard to assist in the event of a Search and Rescue. These units are invited to apply for the grants annually and are funded from the Irish Coast Guard budget.

Regrettably the Department is not in a position to provide funding for Killarney Water Rescue however we do wish them well with their endeavours.