Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the level of capital investment undertaken at each Coast Guard station nationwide in 2023 and 2024, in tabular form. [2885/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Irish Coast Guard

As an island nation Ireland has an international obligation to provide a search and rescue (SAR) response in support of those in difficulty around our coast and in coastal waters. The Department of Transport through the Irish Coast Guard is responsible for provision and management of the service. Coast Guard Units are tasked to respond to incidents through the Marine Rescue Coordination centres (MRCCs) in Dublin, Malin, and Valentia. The volunteer units deliver several SAR functions through their highly skilled Boat teams, Cliff rescue teams, Search teams and Drone teams. Each unit comprises between fifteen and thirty volunteers. Strategically located Coast Guard stations provide a base for the volunteers who deliver the coastal SAR response.

The Irish Coast Guard building programme is managed through the Office of Public Works (OPW) from planning design to construction and on-going maintenance, with legal assistance as necessary from the Chief State Solicitor’s Office. The programme is funded from the Department of Transport vote.

The table below refers to level of capital investment including building upgrades or extensions, site acquisition and new buildings, (excluding maintenance work) undertaken at Coast Guard stations across the country between 2023 – 2024.

Level of capital investment in works undertaken at each Coast Guard Station in 2023-2024