asked the Minister for Communications if there are any plans to erect a VHF radio station in Donegal to complement the station at Malinhead.
Written Answers. - VHF Maritime Radio Station.
135.
An unmanned VHF Maritime Radio Communications Station, built by my Department at Croughalough, County Donegal, became operational in February 1983. The station, which is remotely controlled from the Malinhead Coast Radio Station, provides VHF coverage over an area extending from west of Tory Island along the northern coastline of Donegal, eastward and northward towards the Scottish coast. It services life-boats, international shipping and aircraft, the fishing fleet, Air Corps fishery patrols and pleasure craft. In addition to its primary safety at sea function, the station provides access to the public telephone system.
The station is one of three such stations built to date as part of a pilot scheme to determine the feasibility of a network which will eventually cover the entire coast. The other two stations are located in Counties Cork and Kerry. Extension of the VHF service to the rest of the north west coast will involve in due course the construction on the west coast of Donegal of a VHF station which, like that at Croughalough, will be remotely controlled from the Malinhead Coast Radio Station. A detailed survey has been conducted of the region with a view to determining the best location for the station.