Coastguard stations in the
ONLY two of the six Coastguard stations in County Wexford have running water, indoor bathrooms and internet facilities, a situation which shows a fundamental lack of respect by the Government towards hard-working volunteers who give up their time to help save the lives of others, according to Fianna Fáil TD James Browne.
The lack of proper Coastguard infrastructure around the county was highlighted in a reply to a parliamentary question by the Minister for Transport Shane Ross who said progress on the upgrade of stations will depend on the availability of funding and resources.
In County Wexford, the only stations with running water, bathroom facilities and internet are Rosslare and Curracloe.
Carnsore which is a sub-station of Rosslare has internet facilities but no running water or bathroom. Courtown has no bathroom or internet connection. Fethard-on-Sea and Kilmore Quay have no running water, bathroom or internet facilities. Courtown, Fethard-on-Sea and Kilmore Quay have been earmarked for improvement works with planning permission already sought for pre-fabricated toilets in Courtown.
Deputy Browne criticised the Government for its neglect of Coastguard stations saying volunteers do not have access to the most basic sanitary facilities even though they may have to spend hours in a station while conducting search and rescue missions.
‘Three stations in Wexford do not have any internet facilities, yet Coastguard members are expected to run a complex operation from these bases, to stay up-to-date on weather conditions and to liaise with colleagues and the coastguard’s head office’
‘Leaving Coastguard units to languish in these conditions shows a fundamental lack of respect on the part of Government towards the Coastguard and its work’, said Deputy Browne as he called on the Minister to expedite the upgrade and refurbishment of any Coastguard premises without running water, bathroom or internet facilities. He said Fianna Fáil intended bringing forward a Bill to place the Irish Coastguard on a statutory footing.
‘Coastal communities the length and breadth of Ireland are well aware of the vital role that the Coastguard plays in keeping people safe.’
‘The Irish Coastguard is almost entirely a voluntary organisation and its volunteers give up hours of their free time to get trained, to train new members and conduct search and rescue operations. That is not to mention the peril they face every time they head out to save someone’s life in challenging circumstances’.
In meeting with members of the Coastguard in recent months, he was struck by the lack of basic infrastructure in some of its stations and his observations were confirmed by the answer to the Parliamentary question submitted by Fianna Fail in relation to Coastguard stations nationally.
Minister Ross whose department is responsible for the Coastguard said there are 45 units based in 58 stations with a number of units including Carnesore, Courtown, Fethard-on-Sea and Kilmore Quay operating from old Rocket Houses and these buildings have long been identified as needing better facilities.
He said New station houses are designed by the Office of Public Works in conjunction with the Coastguard and the OPW engages in discussions with the local authorities in respect of key issues.
‘The rate of progress on these projects will depend on the timelines required for the various phases, the capital funding and other resources available.
‘Matters are being overseen and closely monitored by Coastguard personnel in my department. As new build projects are completed, additional projects are put on the IRCG Building Programme’, said the Minister.
Seventeen out of 19 buildings around Ireland which have no running water, bathroom or internet facilities, are located in old Rocket Houses of which 10 are subunits or secondary unit buildings.
Rocket Houses are part of Ireland’s maritime heritage and were built to house life saving apparatus used when conditions prevented the lifeboat from deploying.
They became a vital part of seafaring rescues. A rocket with a line attached was fired from the shore to stranded sailors and passengers on ships that had run aground. The shipwrecked sailors would then be brought safely to shore in a breeches buoy life ring,