Seamus Healy
Ceist:150 Mr. Healy asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will provide a small annual grant for the Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue Service, County Tipperary. [16800/01]
Vol. 537 No. 5
150 Mr. Healy asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will provide a small annual grant for the Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue Service, County Tipperary. [16800/01]
In 1999 it was agreed in principle that the current responsibility of the Irish Coast Guard for marine emergencies be extended to encompass emergencies occurring in inland rivers, lakes and waterways. My Department is currently engaging in consultation with other State agencies and local interests with a view to developing, costing and implementing the necessary planning, communications and operational infrastructure to bring inland emergency response up to the current high standards of marine emergency response. This work is ongoing.
At present, the Irish Coast Guard provides members of the Community Inshore Rescue Service, CIRS, with a grant-in-aid of £2,500 per annum along with training courses, safety inspections-audits and standard operational procedures, provided they comply with certain criteria set down for such rescue groups. At present membership of the CIRS is comprised of coastal response organisations. However, consideration is being given to enlarging the CIRS on foot of the Government decision on the Irish Coast Guard's extended responsibility. I am arranging for my Department to send the Deputy a copy of the Irish water safety booklet entitled, Guidelines for the Establishment of Community Inshore Rescue Stations in Ireland, for his information.