Vol. 574 No. 1
133 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when it is intended to establish the new independent agency to take over all aspects of marine and water safety; if proposals on this matter have been brought to Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26286/03]
I refer the Deputy to my reply to the House on 7 October 2003 to a similar question. In the intervening period my officials have been engaged in the detailed preparatory work necessary to finalise proposals for the establishment of the new independent safety agency. The agency will, among other things, bring together safety services currently provided by the Irish Coast Guard and the maritime safety directorate of my Department. The ongoing preparation work includes holding regular meetings with representatives from the Irish Coast Guard and the maritime safety directorate to work through the requirements of the new agency. It remains my objective to bring these proposals formally to Government as quickly as possible with a view to getting the agency up and running without delay.
134 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans for the future development of the Irish Coast Guard service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26385/03]
I informed the House on 7 October and 21 October 2003 of my plans for the future development of the Irish Coast Guard. Independent consultants undertook a review of the service and made over one hundred recommendations for the future development of the coast guard having regard to international best practice and value for money.
Reflecting the need to provide for greater co-ordination and more effective delivery of safety services on the ground, I propose to bring proposals to Government shortly for the establishment of a new agency which will bring together the services provided by the coast guard and the maritime safety directorate of my Department. The mandate of the new body will be to respond to a wide safety agenda, including better enforcement of safety regulations, promotion of public awareness of safety issues, development of new ship and port security measures and an enhanced pollution prevention and response capability.
Advances in modern communications technologies enable new approaches to be adopted in the provision of maritime emergency radio response and co-ordination. On this basis, I have accepted the consultants recommendation that the Coast Guard should operate two control centres as opposed to the three centres that exist. The services currently provided by the Dublin centre will be transferred to Valentia and Malin Head and significant cost savings achieved from this measure will enable other elements of the coast guard service to be developed. This, in turn, will lead to further improvements in our marine emergency response services nationally.
The capability of the Coast Guard to co-ordinate and manage incidents will not be diminished as a result of the closure of the Dublin rather than the Valentia or Malin Head centres, nor will the decision affect the very significant emergency response resources on the ground, which will remain available to the Irish Coast Guard on a 24 hour basis all year round. The consultants have also made a number of recommendations to enhance the radio communications network maintained by the Coast Guard as well as changes to operational procedures and staffing arrangements. Senior Coast Guard management are undertaking an examination and implementation of these recommendations as part of the ongoing development of the service.
