Coast Guard Service

Tuesday, 16 November 2021

Ceisteanna (181)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

181. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied with the management of the Irish Coast Guard; if his attention has been drawn to media reports claiming that volunteers including volunteer officers in the Irish Coast Guard have been subjected to unfair disciplinary inquiries and actions; if his attention has been further drawn to other media reports claiming that staff working in this organisation have been bullied; if concerns regarding safety issues raised by the volunteers will be addressed; if he will engage with an organisation (details supplied) on these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55518/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) is committed to supporting the near 900 dedicated volunteers who help provide the important and life-saving services of the IRCG. Ongoing consultation with the Coast Guard volunteers is key to the success of the Coast Guard. For this reason, Coast Guard volunteers have for some time had a representative body called the Coastal Unit Advisory Group. This group represents Irish Coast Guard volunteers and provides advice and input to the Coast Guard under agreed terms of reference between management and the volunteers. This group meets regularly and are involved in working with Coast Guard management to deliver a world class service while protecting the safety and wellbeing of the volunteers within the Coast Guard units.

While managing nearly 900 volunteers, HR issues are bound to arise in a very small number of instances. The Coast Guard's Code was recently reviewed by an external professional HR consultancy and its procedures are deemed to be best practice. In the event of difficult HR cases, external professional advice is sought to assist with the cases and adherence with procedures, and also to provide mediation or team building and training on HR management.