Managers in the Department of Transport are making decisions about Coast Guard operations despite having no direct involvement with the emergency service, the Dáil has heard.

Independent TD Michael Collins said the Irish Coast Guard "needs to be a standalone, legislated, primary response agency".

The Rural Alliance deputy for Cork South-West said the Coast Guard is one of the State’s four emergency services along with the fire service, ambulance service and the Garda.But it was the only primary response agency not legislated for, he said.

Mr Collins said the service’s growth and progress was impeded because department managers are making decisions even though they “have no direct involvement with the emergency service”.

He called on the Taoiseach to enact legislation and put in place a budget to hire sector managers and assistant managers.

In response, Enda Kenny said the Government and the Minister for Transport “are very amenable to discussing these issues”.

Consider implications

Pointing to the Coast Guard’s voluntary status, the Taoiseach said “if we decide to legislate for a voluntary group, we need to consider its implications very carefully”.

He said the service was very professional and operated to high standards. “Legislating for volunteers is certainly not an exact science,” but he had recently advised the Coast Guard “to submit their proposition to the Government and the Minister concerned.”

Mr Collins said that in any one year, the Coast Guard’s 950 volunteers handles about 2,500 maritime emergencies, assists about 4,500 people, and saves the lives of some 200 people.

There are only three sector managers for the entire State, he added. “They have a combined job of managing all coastal units, which is a near impossible task.”