Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2018
522. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to provide ongoing current and capital funding for mountain rescue to the mountain rescue teams nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53936/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMountain Rescue Ireland (MRI) is the representative body for mountain rescue services on the island of Ireland. A significant level of support has been provided to Mountain Rescue Ireland and to the various mountain rescue teams throughout the country over the last number of years.
I understand that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport provides an average grant of approximately €7,400 per annum for each individual MRI rescue team which helps defray their operational costs and with the provision of health and safety equipment.
In 2016, through the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, a sum of €66,245 was provided towards the insurance costs of Mountain Rescue Ireland for 2017. In 2017, I provided €88,816 towards the organisation's insurance costs for 2018 and, this year, I provided €75,190 towards their insurance costs for 2019.
As part of the CLÁR programme, in 2017 I introduced an initiative to support first-response organisations that provide much-needed emergency support services in rural areas in a voluntary capacity. Under this measure, and as part of a competitive process, €361,116 was allocated to MRI teams towards the provision of 6 first-response vehicles.
Under the 2018 CLÁR programme, MRI was approved €200,000 in grant funding across 6 projects.
Mountain rescue teams are staffed on a voluntary basis and provide an important service in rural Ireland. In 2017, the 11 mountain rescue teams on the island of Ireland responded to 272 incidents.
