Clare’s sole Green Councillor has expressed fears some volunteers from the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard may not return to their posts.
It’s after an independent mediator recommended that members of the unit be permanently stood down following consultation with current and resigned members of the unit.
Kieran Mulvey met with existing and resigned volunteers, along with the Sector Manager of the Region, when he was appointed to mediate the dispute last month.
In a 12 page report to the Department of Transport, he’s advised that ‘certain relationships’ within the unit have irretrievably broken down, and the mutual trust, respect and confidence required to effectively operate a Coast Guard Unit does not exist’ within the unit.
The Department of Transport says the unit will be ‘re-constituted in the short term’ and that a ‘broader appointment process’ will begin shortly with the view to eventually permanently restoring the unit.
However, Lahinch-based Green Party Councillor Liam Grant, who’s himself a lifeguard, doesn’t believe all volunteers will come back.
One North Clare representative believes the current situation in Doolin is as a result of a ‘systems failure’ at national management level in the Irish Coast Guard.
Fine Gael Councillor Joe Garrihy believes actions were taken too late in the Unit and is hopeful lessons have been learned.
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton says further engagement with volunteers and a review of procedures affecting the unit around training, operations, equipment and activities will also now take place.
