Sea and cliff rescue is to be discussed with stakeholders by the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs on Tuesday, 17 February, to discuss Sea and Cliff Rescue with stakeholders.
The meeting at 11am in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House will hear officials from the Department of Transport, including representatives from the Irish Coast Guard.
It will also hear from representatives of Water Safety Ireland, along with representatives from Community Rescue Boats Ireland, Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Committee Cathaoirleach Conor McGuinness said: “Our coastal, cliff and sea rescue units provide vital life-saving services. The Irish Coast Guard, which operates as a division of the Department of Transport, has 44 bases or units around Ireland’s coast and through a mix of staff and volunteers operates rescue boats, RIBs, six helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft”.
“Water Safety Ireland provides training in lifesaving, swimming teaching, rescue boats, and trains volunteer Community Rescue Boats Ireland units which operate from 11 bases around the country. The RNLI is a charitable organisation that operates lifeboats and rescue operations out of 238 stations around Ireland and Britain, while the Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit is a volunteer group based in Galway Bay.”
“The committee welcomes this engagement with our stakeholders and looks forward to a comprehensive discussion on our sea and coastal rescue services, including capacity, resourcing, infrastructure, interaction with the fishing sector, and related matters,” he said.
The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.
The meeting in Committee Room 2 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
