Coast Guard had busy year in 2023

THE Irish Coast Guard coordinated responses to 2,788 incidents in 2023 including search and rescue, maritime casualty support, and pollution preparedness and response.

This figure is the second-highest number in five years (2,976 in 2021) and August was the busiest month of 2023 with a total of 391 incidents.

The 44 Coast Guard Units were mobilised on 1,278 separate occasions, while the Coast Guard Helicopters conducted 796 missions, Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats were tasked 850 times, community inshore rescue service boats were tasked on 76 occasions, and CG helicopters conducted 174 air ambulance flights in support of the offshore island communities.

Critical assistance was provided to a total of 665 people, with the number reflecting interventions that prevented loss of life or serious injury, and emergency transfers to hospitals, including offshore, coastal, and inland incidents and offshore island aeromedical support.

Following government approval, a contract for the provision of a new Coast Guard aviation contract was signed in August 2023, which provides for the retention of day and night search and rescue (SAR) helicopter services, located at Sligo, Shannon, Waterford, and Dublin, with the first such helicopter scheduled to enter service in Shannon in late 2024.

Minister of State with special responsibility for the Irish Coast Guard Jack Chambers TD thanked the IRCG volunteers and staff for their professionalism and commitment.

“I want to particularly recognise the work of the Watch Officers at Rescue Coordination Centres in Malin, Valentia and MRCC Dublin,” Mr Chambers said.

“During the year I had the opportunity to visit several Volunteer Coast Guard Units around the country that enabled me to recognise the services they provide to their communities and view firsthand the various challenges that they encounter.”