Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 April 2004
94 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself that the air and sea rescue service is sufficiently equipped and staffed to meet all likely possible requirements or emergencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9338/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Coast Guard of my Department has the responsibility for the provision of the air and sea search and rescue service in the Ireland search and rescue region, SRR. Search and rescue, SAR, services in Ireland are provided through a combination of Irish Coast Guard emergency services and services provided by the Air Corps and a number of charitable and voluntary organisations dedicated to SAR.
The principal air and sea rescue resources in Ireland are Coast Guard and Air Corps 24-hour all-weather helicopters based at Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo airports, the coast-wide Coast Guard units, RNLI lifeboats and the community inshore rescue service. The Coast Guard co-ordinates search and rescue operations, including those services provided by charitable and voluntary bodies. It also ensures that appropriate equipment, facilities, personnel and training are in place among its many declared resources. Coast Guard rescue co-ordination centres at Dublin, Malin Head and Valentia and a nation-wide communications network are positioned and equipped to receive distress calls and co-ordinate response to incidents on land, around the coastline and sea areas within its areas of responsibility for search and rescue and casualty and pollution response.
While the challenges facing the Coast Guard continue to change and recognising the fact that the Coast Guard undertakes ongoing training and re-equipping, I am satisfied that the Coast Guard has adequate resources available to it to deal with its expected challenges.
