Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2016
517. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline the rules regarding the deployment of the Coast Guard helicopter to inland waterways particularly in cases where this may be more expedient in getting to the scene than the Garda Sub-Aqua team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18096/16]
View answerThe Irish Coast Guard which is a Division of my Department provides a response and coordination service for Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR). Irish Coast Guard helicopters provide a day and night-time service, operating out of bases in Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin. Operations include the mobilisation, organisation and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons in distress at sea, or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs, shoreline and inland waterways of Ireland. Such tasking may include a direct response initiated by the Coast Guard or a response on foot of a request from an Garda Síochána.
In accordance with the Framework for Major Emergency Management the coordination of an inter-agency response to emergencies on inland waterways is the responsibility of an Garda Síochána, although they may assign the co-ordination of Search and Rescue (SAR) deployments to the Coast Guard.
