An Independent TD has called for a statutory inquiry into the death of Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitríona Lucas off the Clare coast over seven years ago.
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara raised the issue in the Dáil following the recent inquest, which returned a verdict of misadventure in relation to Ms Lucas’s death.
As Clare FM Radio reports, McNamara claimed those in government who failed to implement safety measures had much to answer for. The inquest heard how a recommendation in 2012 for a safety systems manager at the Irish Coast Guard was not put into place until two years after Ms Lucas’s death.
The inquest jury issued seven recommendations relating to equipment, safety and training. One of the inquest’s findings was that Ms Lucas was conscious in the water for 17 minutes, and that a second rigid inflatable boat owned by the Kilkee Coast Guard unit could have been launched and at the scene within ten minutes.
The Irish Coast Guard is Ireland’s fourth ‘Blue Light’ service (along with An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service and the Fire Service). It provides a nationwide maritime emergency organisation as well as a variety of services to shipping and other government agencies.
The purpose of the Irish Coast Guard is to promote safety and security standards, and by doing so, prevent as far as possible, the loss of life at sea, and on inland waters, mountains and caves, and to provide effective emergency response services and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.
The Irish Coast Guard has responsibility for Ireland’s system of marine communications, surveillance and emergency management in Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and certain inland waterways.
It is responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue and counter-pollution and ship casualty operations. It also has responsibility for vessel traffic monitoring.
Operations in respect of maritime security, illegal drug trafficking, illegal migration and fisheries enforcement are co-ordinated by other bodies within the Irish Government.
