TOM MacSWEENEY’S WEEKLY MARITIME BLOG

This blog is from my maritime radio programme – THIS ISLAND NATION - which is broadcast on 16 community radio stations around Ireland and Podcast on iTUNES, Mixcloud, Spotify, Soundcloud and the Marine Times newspaper website.

 I have no hesitation in saying that I absolutely detest those who vandalise public lifebuoys. Prosecuting and convicting such people, because their actions endanger life is, without question, absolutely necessary, but new legislation to make it easier for Gardai to do so and which would provide for a five-year jail sentence for those convicted, has been held up in the Dáil for two years. Hard to understand why, so the Chief Executive of Water Safety Ireland, John Leech, explainson the current edition of THIS ISLAND NATION from the headquarters of his organisation beside the River Corrib in Galway. While Brexit has held up quite a number of proposed Bills in the Dáil, it is surely time that the Bill to deal more seriously with those who endanger life is passed through the Dáil. John Leech made it quite clear that endangering life is what vandalising public lifebuoys does. He put it in this way: “A stolen Ringbuoy can be a stolen Life.” He outlined pilot programmes which are to be undertaken to deal with the situation. The local authorities on our island nation are spending approximately €50,000 a year to replace an estimated 1,500 ringbuoys that are stolen or vandalised. Dublin City Council had to replace 500 ringbuoys in 2018 at a cost of €20,000. As the Council is in charge of more than 140 ringbuoy locations, it is the equivalent of having to replace each ringbuoy at least three times a year. Cities, towns and urban areas are generally the locations where vandalism and theft are worst. 

Remaining on the subject of water safety, the decision of the Coast Guard to suspend the operation of its 23 boats because of safety issues with the lifejackets issued to personnel came suddenly, but sources amongst volunteers have told me about equipment concerns in that organisation for some time. It was quite a major step to take to withdraw the Coast Guard boats. Apart from the statement suspending boat operations, there has been no further comment from the Coast Guard. I understand that a Health and Safety Authority report about the death of Coast Guard volunteer, Catriona Lucas in 2016 at Kilkee has been completed. I will be dealing with the Coast Guard situation in a report in the December edition of the MARINE TIMES which will be published later this week.

It has taken a long time, 23 years, for the announcement of the “first cross-Government policy” developed for the offshore islands. It has been welcomed, but it has also been pointed out from the islands that their community groups have been making representations about the need for State support for the islands for many years.

Isn’t it great that our island nation is such an important place for seabirds and, that thousands of them flock here to breed in Winter. I think so and you may too if you listen to Niall Hatch from BirdWatch Ireland on the current edition of THIS ISLAND NATION and also read what he has to say in the December edition of the MARINE TIMES.

In the next edition of the programme we will have a detailed interview with the Government Minister responsible for the formulation of Ireland’s first national planning framework for managing marine activities.

*** Thanks to all listeners for their support, which has helped THIS ISLAND NATION radio to be given an award for “spreading the message of water safety” at the National Safety Awards.

THIS ISLAND NATION Podcasts:

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/this-island-nation/id1451636162

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2DX9F5F

Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/CRY104FM/this-island-nation-11th-november-2019

Twitter follow: @TomMacSweeney