Save 24hr Search & Rescue Helicopter Cover in South-East

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Department of Transport is planning to downgrade the Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter service in the southeast.

Search and rescue helicopter bases in Dublin, Shannon and Sligo are to remain with 24-hour cover, but the Waterford service operated from Waterford regional airport is to be reduced to a 12-hour, daylight only service. This would save an estimated 1m per year.

Fishermen's organisations, RNLI members and politicians in the southeast have expressed outrage at the downgrading of the service

7258 Signatures

  • Danny Flynn
    • Comments
    • Utter discrace, This is a vital service
  • Daniel O'Keeffe
    • Comments
    • As someone who has the Search and Rescue Team to thank for saving the life of a family member, I am disgusted by this decision. Hopefully some of our TD's will campaign against it. After all, boats don't sink only during daylight hours.
  • anthony haslam
  • susan mc laughlin
  • michelle cowman
    • Comments
    • This is a total disgrace and an insult to the four crew who lost there lives here in Tramore some years back while on a nighttime rescue
  • austin regan
    • Comments
    • Peoples lives will be lost.....Cut your salary and your massive expenses...
  • Martin Cowman
    • Comments
    • where are all our politican's now?
  • catherine nutt
    • Comments
    • we need the service here its an insult to the pilots that lost there lives here in tramore
  • Stacey Nutt
    • Comments
    • Whats worth more saving a million euro a year or saving a million lives a year.
  • michael condron
  • martina mc carthy
    • Comments
    • dunmore east coastguard unit
  • Elaine Dunne
    • Comments
    • This is an essential service for the area!!!
  • theresa doyle
  • Grace Doyle
  • elaine piper
    • Comments
    • i am involved in the order of malta tramore unit we hav often required the helicopters assistance. i think it is a disgrace if this service is halved.
  • Бine T Phelan
    • Comments
    • As a member of the frontline emergency services this is an absolute disgrace I have worked with the search and rescue helicopter crews on many occasions and have seen first hands the lives that this vital service has saved
  • James Comerford
  • Brian Kennedy
    • Comments
    • At what point do policymakers stop being human beings. I wonder have they consulted people who's lives have been saved by this service. I only hope lives aren't lost, it will live with the policymakers forever. See sense and save lives.
  • Colm Dillon
  • james doyle
  • ELEANOR HUTCHINSON
    • Comments
    • THIS IS JUST NOT ON,WHAT MORE ARE THE GOVERNMENT GOING TO TAKE FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHEAST? WELL NO MORE, WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT THIS ONE.
  • Niamh Kennedy
  • cathy hunt
    • Comments
    • В
  • Anthony Larkin
    • Comments
    • Don't wait until someone dies, before you reverse this decision
  • matthew cowman
    • Comments
    • disgraceful
  • Brian Flanagan
  • maria cowman
  • Janet Syms
    • Comments
    • Bloody disgrace . . what next hospitals only open for 12 hrs a day
  • Jim
    • Comments
    • considering the tragedys off of Dunmore, not so long ago, this is a disgraceful insult.
  • David Timpson
    • Comments
    • It would be a national disgrace if at night, there is no cover on the Irish coastline from Dublin right around to Shannon. So basically, if you're going to drown, try to do it during daylight hours!
  • Catherine Hughes
  • karlin syms
  • David Keane
    • Comments
    • Once again the government is attempting to take from those in the most need. let an inocent fisherman or two perish at sea while a government official keeps his high undeserved position - disgrace!
  • Liam Dunne
    • Comments
    • Why put lives in danger for what amounts to no more than a paltry saving?
  • danny kennedy
    • Comments
    • another disgrace from the government....get out now
  • Laura Richards
  • Lisa Flynn
    • Comments
    • I think its disgraceful that they are cutting this service. Some of the governments expenses should be cut instead of this vital service.
  • Emma Haughton
  • Niall Power
  • Therese Dunphy
  • Deirdre Dillon
  • Clodagh Bunbury
    • Comments
    • В
  • Anne Marie Kennedy
  • Sarah Brennan
    • Comments
    • Yet another failure to add the to list.. Current government need to go..
  • KATHY RYAN
  • Jean Carroll
  • Robbie Shorley
  • Barbara Gray
  • Mark O Halloran
  • Derek Farrell