asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he is satisfied with the current effectiveness, structure and facilities available to the Coast Life Saving Service operating under the aegis of his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coast Life Saving Service.
17.
While I am satisified that the Coast Life Saving Service as at present constituted is generally adequate, I am having the position kept constantly under review, with a view to ensuring that its organisation and equipment will continue to be adequate to cope with those marine eventualities most likely to occur around our coasts, and that it will be in a position to cooperate effectively with the other rescue agencies comprised in the overall marine rescue system.
Would the Minister accept that while one officer of his Department may have some responsibility for this service, marine authorities and authorities responsible for life saving around our coasts are satisfied that there is not in existence any such service as a coast life saving service?
I would not accept that.
The Minister should talk to the men in the lifeboats. They know whether there is any such service.
There are many lifeboat men in my constituency but I have not had any complaint from them in this regard.
Would the Minister agree that the lifeboat men around the coasts are not aware of the existence of any such service, a service that has not been in a position even to be called out?
A phantom.
Is the Minister's idea of this type of service the existence of a couple of guards who may be called occasionally to look along a beach when something is happening? That is not a life saving service.
That has no bearing on the matter. The Deputy ought to know that there are volunteers who are enrolled in a variety of areas around the coast for this purpose.
Perhaps we could have their names and addresses.
It is not a question of the guards. The Deputy does not appear to realise what is involved in the question he has asked.
I do.
When was enrolment last open and when were people invited to enrol for this service?
I am sure the situation is that they have volunteers in all areas.
Did I understand the Minister to say he was sure? Does he not know?
I have already pointed out that there are volunteers in a lot of areas who have agreed to do this type of work.
Since the Minister gave the information to the House and stated that volunteers had been enrolled, can he tell us when enrolment last took place.
That is a separate question.
No, I do not have the information.
It arises directly——
It may arise but the Minister is not likely to have the information.
What I can say is that since the start of the service they were alerted on 524 occasions, 164 lives have been saved and 41 bodies were recovered in the course of rescue operations.
The Minister is talking about a completely different situation altogether.
No, but I am certain that the Deputy is talking about something else.
I am.
He is not talking about what he has in his question.
The life boat service——
We must get more Questions answered during Question Time, at the same time being fair to everybody who has a question on the Order Paper.
18.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the plans, if any, to set up a Coast Guard Search and Rescue Service in this country.
The system of marine search and rescue in the State involves a number of rescue agencies, whose activities in any marine emergency are co-ordinated by the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Shannon Airport. The agencies are: The Naval Service, The Air Corps, The Coast Life Saving Service, The Coast Radio Stations at Valentia and Malin Head, and a number of port radio installations, The Garda Síochána, Shannon Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre (if aircraft are in distress in maritime areas), The Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
In addition, shipping in the vicinity of a casualty and in a position to assist, can be called upon by the centre.
These various agencies provide a reasonably comprehensive marine rescue service and there are no plans for the introduction of any services at present. The arrangements are, however, subject to regular review to ensure that they meet prevailing needs as fully as possible within the constraints of the resources available.
Is the Minister in a position to say whether there is any hierarchy of command knitting together the various agencies he mentioned with specific reference to the coast guard search and rescue service and whether there are any full-time personnel at any level employed specifically in the context of the coast guard search and rescue service?
Yes, co-ordination is done at the marine rescue co-ordination centre at Shannon Airport. It is operated by air traffic services on a 24-hour basis.
With respect, that is not the answer I wanted. Are there people specifically with the exclusive job of monitoring the coast guard and rescue service as opposed to people who might be doing other jobs and might in the course of their work be the recipients of calls for such service?
These are the specific people who are in that area.
They are not exclusively on that job?
It is part of their function.
Is the Minister satisfied with the rescue services available at present for people swimming at holiday resorts?
That is a separate question.
We are speaking about rescue services and that covers people in boats and ships. Surely it covers people swimming in the sea.
The question deals with coast guard and rescue services.
I will obey the ruling of the Chair, but I understand that it covers people bathing in the sea. I am sure the Minister is aware of the vandalism to safety devices around the coast such as life buoys and ropes which are very often taken off their stands and thrown into the sea. Lives have been lost because in some cases people went to get the safety devices and found that the ropes were cut or that they had been thrown into the sea and had floated away. I do not know what can be done about it except to have a better civic spirit among the people.
I agree with the latter part of the Deputy's supplementary.