Volunteers left ‘in limbo’ without representation

A long-serving coastguard member has outlined the benefits of setting up a new national representative body for more than 900 volunteers countrywide.

In a meeting with Transport Minister Shane Ross, Doolin Coast Guard volunteer Bernard Lucas outlined the drawbacks for members of not having a body to discuss genuine concerns and issues about the service.

Mr Lucas’ wife Caitríona, 41, a mother of two and a coastguard volunteer, lost her life during a call-out off north Clare in September 2016.

An official report recently criticised the Irish Coast Guard for failing to have an effective safety management system in place when the rigid inflatable boat carrying Ms Lucas capsized.

Mr Lucas said the Marine Casualty Investigation Board report into the fatal incident was not discussed during the meeting.

He petitioned Mr Ross for a representative body for volunteers, suggesting there is currently no proper structure for any volunteer to air a grievance or complaint they may have with an officer in charge (OIC) or a senior officer.

The advanced coxswain, who has been with the Doolin unit for 17 years, called on the minister to assist in the establishment of a new representative body so that any concern a volunteer may have can be examined in an open and transparent manner to make an informed decision.

In particular, he said, a new body would also assist members who had issues with new manuals not written in a user-friendly way, as well as other very serious issues.

He said an option should also be provided to other volunteers in rescue operations to become part of any new representative body. Under the current structure, he said, many issues cannot be resolved locally.

“Volunteers have no representative body and have no say in anything.

“You are not treated as a full-time employee because you are a volunteer, so you fall into this crack as a volunteer. Why can’t volunteers have representation? The unions will not take it on board because we are not employees.

“Volunteers are in limbo at the moment. The current system is not working,” he said.

Mr Lucas said the minister was “very open” to the proposal, listened attentively and promised to come back to him. “I would be hopeful that something will happen, but I suppose I just have to wait and see. Politics is politics — you will never know what will happen.

“Volunteers tend to get bogged down on paperwork and it takes a long, long time for any grievance to get any bit of recognition.”