DECEMBER 2008

Malin Head Coast Guard Station reprieve

Minister of State, Noel Ahern, announced last week that the Government is to abandon plans to shut down the Marine Rescue Centres at Malin Head and Valentia, Co Kerry. Public pressure and prohibitive cost of constructing a new centre, is understood to have been behind the decision.

Charlie Cavanagh, area officer with the Greencastle Coastguard Unit, said that common sense had prevailed and an excellent existing resource will continue to be used. "We're also looking forward to the installation of the new equipment", said Mr. Cavanagh of the new €2.5 million integrated communications system. "Investment was up in the air while there was doubt about whether the station would be retained.

Andrew Ward of the Inishowen Development Partnership also welcomed the decision. "Losing jobs in a place like Inishowen its bad enough as it is, but it would have been a crime to lose jobs like this."

The Inishowen Independent teamed up with the Inishowen Development Partnership earlier this year as a petition was launched to try and save the station.

"Having attended the public meeting in Malin Head in January we were aware that a petition was being launched and we were only too delighted to assist with that petition in an effort to save the station. We were thrilled that so many of our readers took the time to sign the petition and their signatures, added to the others gathered by the Inishowen Development Partnership, left the Minister in no doubt about the strength of feeling here about the plan.

"It was important to make sure the issue didn't get put on the back burner and we're happy that as the only locally owned paper in the peninsula we made sure that the issue was kept in the spotlight until it was successfully resolved last week."

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