Coastguard equipment liable to fail

THE Department of Transport was warned in 2007 that communications equipment used by Valentia coastguard was in urgent need of replacement and any delay in doing this could lead to “catastrophic failure”.

The warning was ignored and the old equipment is still in use in Kerry, putting lives at sea at risk.

At least €1.5 million of replacement equipment was purchased by the department in 2009 but this has never been put to use in Valentia or Malin stations and is lying idle in boxes at a coastguard facility in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin.