If the authorities in Ireland have to call on the UK for assistance do we pay for their costs? Because if we intentionally downgrade our service in the knowledge they will pick up the slack i wouldn't blame them for billing us.
(I don't know how the system works or who calls whom, but i hope you take my point.)
Cira/rira Not in my name.
Originally Posted by MsAnneThrope
Thank you for joining the dots for any government hack who might bother to read the thread or even tax his brain to understand the national and commercial value of our waters. And you are dead right.
You would think that with cabinet ministers coming from maritime counties, Coughlan, Martin, Cullen? etc that there would be more emphasis on using what we´ve got all around us. Nope!Their interest in the maritime sector doesn´t go past planting surplus hotels and holiday homes within a few yards of a beach.
God forbid, but if a delay occurs in saving lives off our coasts in our waters because of negligence by our government, I hope the families of survivors sue for squiilions. Litigation might wake these muppets up.
Read this backtracking from Minister Responsible for this disgrace. Opposition please take note:
"Search and Rescue Units of the Coast Guard, RNLI and Community Rescue Boats of Ireland will be on-call and ready to respond throughout the entire holiday period; just as they are at all other times during the year. That's 24 hours per day, seven days per week."
30 December 2009
Dempsey highlights Irish Coast Guard emergency services during Christmas holidays | national
Didn't take long for the Minister for Waterford to be forgotten...
Did he issue that before or after skiving off to Malta to sun his incompetent hide?
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
If you look at his website, it shows a picture of a train with Navan written on the front of it. Not a sign of a drop of water, salt water or indeed a helicopter or seagoing vessel anywhere.
Off to Malta was it?
He´d be much safer there, hope he took some notes of how a small island with a smaller EEZ than a few of our counties put together takes monitoring its waters more seriously. Note, they are also adjacent to a large country (Italy) with significant maritime assets.
Armed Forces of Malta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maritime Squadron
The maritime squadron has a wide range of duties, including coast guard, customs, marine police, fisheries protection and search and rescue. Current maritime assets:
Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service Notes
Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 Islander United Kingdom fixed-wing aircraft BN-2B-26 2
Scottish Aviation Bulldog T1 United Kingdom series 120 fixed-wing aircraft Series 120 4 ex-RAF
Aérospatiale SA 316B Alouette III France helicopters SA316B 3 ex-Libyan Air Force
Agusta-Bell Helicopter AB 212 Italy helicopter AB-212 2 helicopters operated with mixed crews on SAR duties by an Italian Technical Assistance Mission.
In Service Class Fleet # Builder/Origins [1] Year entered service Notes
1 "Modified" Diciotti class Offshore patrol vessel (P 61) Fincantieri S.p.a. at Muggiano Shipyard Italy 2005 based on Corps of the Port Captaincies - Coast Guard vessesls
2 Protector Class Coastal Patrol Boat (P 51, P 52) Bollinger Shipyards Incorporated, United States 2002 based on Damen Stan 2600
1 Bremse Class Inshore Patrol Boat (Bremse Type KB123) (P 32) Germany 1992 built for ex-East German Navy 1971-1972[2]
2 Swift Class Inshore Patrol Boat (P 23, P 24) Sewart Seacraft Limited United States 1971 ex-US Coast Guard built in 1967 USA C6823 and USA C6824[2]
2 (CP800 Vittoria Melita Class Search and Rescue Launch (Melita I, Melita II) Cantiere Navale Vittoria, Adria Italy 1998
1 Fast-Interceptor Craft RIB (P 01) FB Design Srl Italy 2006 acquired in 2003
4 P21 Class Inshore Patrol Crafts P 21, P22, P23, P24 Austal, Perth Australia[3] 2010 ordered in Feb 2009. Two vessels were launched on October 6 2009.[2] The four vessels (P21, P22, P23 and P24) were delivered in February 2010.
Actually heard O'Shea on WLR yesterday on the issue.Its amazing how he manages to keep such a low profile but this rattled his cage.
Absconded, my point in referring to defence is that in my opinion resources arent put to optimal use there and could be employed better elsewhere.Multiply that budget to that of transport and you multiply the waste. Every dept is guilty and major reforms are needed.Your entitled to defend defence budget, but if your happy to accept FF got it right there why question how the transport minister deploys resources at his disposal or any other minister for that matter.Surely by your rationale on defence its hypocritical of you to tackle vested interests elsewhere
The Labour Party is a "betrayal to it's principles and objectives"(Pat Rabbitte)
This ridiculous decision - although due to have contracts signed in the next few weeks - is not actually due for implementation until 2012 - after the tallships in Waterford, and to be phased in from 2012 over 12 months so it won't affect the tallships visit to Waterford. Hopefully the people of the South East will wake up and shout stop long before that happens. Hopefully......
Sure there is waste everywhere. No doubt there.
My beef is not with the fact that the SAR project is expensive but that it´s inadequate. We should hope and trust that the tender competition will award the contract to the most economically advantageous competitor.
I did draw attention however with the the shoestring operational budget supplied to the Naval Service and the sterling work they do with it. The good work of the Naval Service has more to do with ethics and patriotism than anything that ever came out of FF.
Just to clarify, I never mentioned vested interests, I have however highlighted government lack of interest.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote