Safety at sea has improved immeasurably since two orphan daughters, Mary and Rachel Pidgeon, took to a boat in Ringsend on a wild and windy October night in the 1760s, rowed out and saved the life of a widower from Philadelphia. As one of the first recorded rescues in Dublin Bay, it preceded the establishment of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Yesterday, as the RNLI marked its 175th birthday, there was a reminder of continuing hazards when a high-speed ferry damaged its hull and took in water in Dun Laoghaire.
Thankfully, the Stena Explorer catamaran with 322 passengers and 60 crew did not require the Dun Laoghaire and Howth lifeboats' assistance and the ferry master was able to berth in very difficult weather conditions. Over in Kilrush, Co Clare, the RNLI's inshore Atlantic 75 was also launched when a fishing vessel temporarily lost power in the Shannon estuary.
Take a pin and stick it anywhere along the coastal map of this island, and there will be a lifeboat story. The 45 craft at 38 stations on this coastline are part of a fleet at 223 stations in Ireland and Britain. Like the lighthouse service - run here by the Commissioners of Irish Lights - the RNLI is one of our few all-island agencies. Over 4,400 crew members on these shores are volunteers, backed up by a full-time mechanic attached to each all-weather craft. There are about 800 voluntary crew members on this island, of which 50 are women; and it is women who largely manage the fundraising efforts onshore.
The fact that 75 per cent of the cost of the service here is paid for by the British contributor is further proof of the unique nature of this institution. Many of these benefactors have little or no direct experience of the sea; but recognise that, in all its moods, it is a medium that can never be trusted. While there have been revolutionary improvements in ship design and navigation, economic pressures within shipping and fishing are such that risks can still be taken; and the growth of marine leisure has resulted in an increase in call-outs to assist pleasure craft.
The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, paid due tribute to the RNLI yesterday when it marked its anniversary. Dr Woods recognised the contribution it has made to the Irish Marine Emergency Service (IMES), which is due to be extended to cover inland waters. Unlike some of the IMES-linked units - such as the coast radio stations, the Naval Service and Air Corps - the lifeboat service exacts no charge. Even in this age of rescue helicopters, the services of inshore vessels which can make hazardous approaches in rocky inlets are constantly required.
The Government will make a further contribution to improved sea safety if it can clear up some of the confusion that exists over the creation of a new coastguard service. The Minister, Dr Woods, has made it clear that he intends to proceed with transforming IMES into a coastguard service, run from shore. However, the Department of Finance has also indicated that it would like to see the Naval Service and Air Corps amalgamated into a coastguard. The Commissioners of Irish Lights, which has been earmarked under the Belfast Agreement, is also interested in expanding its brief. The focus must be on inter-agency co-operation, rather than competition, when it comes to saving lives.