The overall national responsibility for marine emergency management has been assigned to the director, Irish Coast Guard, IRCG, in accordance with section 4(1)(c), section 4(1)(i) and section 9 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997. This includes the following: (1) search and rescue services for persons in dis tress within the Irish marine search and rescue region, IMSRR, inland rivers, lakes and waterways, the littoral area and cliffs of Ireland and offshore islands; (2) response to pollution reports and incidents within the Irish marine pollution responsibility zone, IMPRZ, and coastline; (3) response to casualty or salvage situations required by the Salvage and Wreck Act, 1993; (4) a national marine broadcasting network for marine information, weather and radio navigation warning broadcast service for shipping and other sea and coastline users and marine public telephone and correspondence service; and (5) marine safety awareness within the Department's marine safety initiative.
The coastguard has 65 full-time staff and approximately 700 volunteers. It manages and operates three co-ordination/communication centres at Dublin, Malin Head and Valentia, 16 remote VHF sites and 52 coastal emergency response stations providing shore coverage. Its engineering stores are located in Cork and Dublin. The 52 coastguard units are operated by a total of 700 volunteers and are located on all coasts. The coastguard has two medium lift marine emergency helicopters, one based in Shannon Airport and the other in Dublin Airport. These all weather helicopters are available on a 24 hour 365 day basis for emergency response on any part of the coastline.
In addition to its own resources, the coastguard has a number of declared resources available to it on a 24 hour basis all year round. These include two Air Corps search and rescue helicopters based at Finner and Waterford, the RNLI which has 24 lifeboat stations around the coast and nine community inshore rescue service boats based in strategic locations. It can also call on the Department of Defence naval vessels and divers, the Air Corps fixed wing aircraft, the Garda and its divers and the UK coastguard and all vessels at sea in a marine emergency situation. In addition, many local volunteer groups, such as sub-aqua clubs, assist in searches. I would like to put on record my appreciation of the work done by all those involved.
As regards the provision of boats for the coastguard and the allocation of those boats to various locations, the availability of other rescue boats in the areas is a major consideration and must be borne in mind so as to ensure that our resources are used in the most efficient and effective way. As regards the provision of a boat in the Achill, Killala and Ballyglass areas of County Mayo, there are two RNLI all weather boats, one in Achill and one in Ballyglass. There is also a coastguard D class boat in Killala. The coastguard had a boat in Achill to assist with shoreline searching, but as the unit had no station house, the condition of the boat deteriorated and had to be withdrawn. We are currently in discussion with Mayo County Council about sharing a building with the fire brigade on Achill and it is intended to reposition a boat with the coastguard unit then.
