Funding sought for Oranmore search unit

The available structures and funding sources available to support a new and emerging group called the Oranmore-Maree Coastal Search Unit, whose purpose is to search for missing persons who may have fallen into the water in Galway city, were raised in the Upper House by Galway Senator Fidelma Healy Eames.

Sadly, she said many people have lost their lives this way. Bodies sometime emerge in the area where she lives.

“The rate can be unbelievable and, on average, eight to nine bodies are found every year along the coastal area of Oranmore, Maree and Renville,” she said. “It is the scientific nature of tides that this is the area where the bodies tend to come up. The Minister of State (Damien English) will know from media reports that we have all been touched recently by the sad death of young Michael Bugler from Ennis, who after approximately 21 days was found in our local area.”

Senator Healy Eames said a very clear wish has emerged that there is a need for at least 60 trained volunteers who will be able to cope, for example, with finding a body. They should have the appropriate training and clothing.

“So many people come along with goodwill, and we could never stop them, but we need trained leaders in each of the search zones,” she said. “We have worked out that there are 16 search zones from Galway city down to north Clare along the coast. We are giving leadership and, locally, we can cover at least eight of those. We have met representatives of the Garda and RNLI and they are delighted with this offer of help but they have said they need greater support.”

“We are seeking very basic funding to get started, which will probably be up to €10,000,” she said. “The training of 60 volunteers is estimated at approximately €100 each. Proper clothing is also required, along with high-visibility vests, boots and prototype information sheets to allow distribution of the right information to all search volunteers before they come into any daily search. It is unbelievable that we are talking about this. Prevention is the best cure and it is another element. It is a sad reality that many of our young people fall into the water, accidentally or otherwise, around Galway city and the Claddagh or docks area in particular.”

In reply, Minister of State Damien English said he regret to say that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has no basis or financial resources to provide funding to groups other than the mountain rescue and the Community Rescue Boats Ireland.

“I believe that the mechanisms we have in place, which encompass the Garda, the Irish Coast Guard and the Defence Forces, are in good shape to deal with the horror of missing person cases when they occur and, hopefully, they will bring them to a positive conclusion,” he said. “That said, we are interested in hearing further about what the Senator thinks and there is no doubt that we will engage further on this important topic. I suggest, from my own involvement with Leader, that perhaps the Senator's group would be successful if it applied for Leader funding. The Senator should find out whether a Leader or partnership group operates in the Galway area and, if so, whether it will work with the Senator's team to finance some of this project. I know that such initiatives have been successful in the past.”