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Tag Archives: Bernard Lucas

Welcome for decision to finally hold Caitriona Lucas inquest

THE Irish Coast Guard Volunteer Representative Association (ICGVRA) has welcomed the decision to hold a coroner’s inquest into the death of Irish Coastguard volunteer and mother-of-two Caitriona Lucas (41) – more than six and a half years after her death. The Limerick Coroner’s Office has confirmed this inquest will take place at Kilmallock Courthouse in County Limerick on April 12 after Ms Lucas lost her life during an Irish coastguard search operation at Kilkee in west Clare on September 12th 2016. ICGVRA chairman, John O’Mahony said the association are in close contact with her husband, Bernard Lucas and its considers it is about time this inquest was held. Mr O’Mahony said he received an email from the Limerick coroner on Friday last and sent it to Mr Lucas. The group chairman said the association hopes to engage with the coroner’s office and plan to send them their issues with the MCIB report into Caitríona’s death and a list of those …

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Coast Guard pressed to explain rationale of Doolin sackings

THE national Coast Guard has been called upon by an independent senator to explain why it sacked ten people who remained in the Doolin Coast Guard Unit. Speaking at a meeting organised by the Irish Coast Guard Volunteer Representative Association (ICGVRA) in the Bellbridge Hotel on Saturday, Senator Gerard Craughwell said the rationale will either stand or fall based on the Coast Guard’s explanation. He said the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport could investigate why private and confidential information provided by Doolin members during previous meetings with outside consultants was given to independent mediator, Kieran Mulvey. The senator advised members to apply on an individual basis to the Information Commissioner asking how this information was passed on and if there was a breach of GDPR. “If there has been a breach of GDPR, then everything that stems from this breach is no longer valid. The GDPR issue is one that only the Information Commissioner can answer. There are questions that …

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Doolin mediation ‘a box-ticking exercise’, claims ex-volunteer

THE MEDIATION process employed by the Irish Coast Guard to try to resolve differences in Doolin Coast Guard last year was only a “box ticking exercise”, a former volunteer has alleged. Bernard Lucas, who spent 20 years volunteering with Doolin Coast Guard, claimed things could have been done differently during the mediation process. “Mediation by its definition is ongoing and could take weeks or two or three months,” Mr Lucas told The Clare Champion. After an extensive process, you might come to the conclusion this isn’t working and we need to rejig it. But how can you do that after after spending 90 minutes apiece with two groups with the six that resigned and the 12 that were left for a total of about three hours? “I was very disappointed with the mediation process,” he said. According to an IRG document, the mediator Kieran Mulvey is a well-respected national mediator and is the former Director General of the Workplace Relations …

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Emotional fallout for sacked Doolin coast guard members

A LONG-SERVING former Doolin Coast Guard member has claimed a lot of people in North Clare have been emotionally upset by the fallout from the sacking of 12 volunteers. After joining the Doolin Unit in 2002, Bernard Lucas became a Coast Guard climbing instructor in 2007 and equipment inspector in 2009. Over the last ten years, Mr Lucas has travelled all over the world for Work at Height with another former member Conor McGrath who put safety procedures and carry out rescues if necessary for film productions. When the unit was stood down, he recalled this was blamed on irreconcilable differences between members. But when six members were taken back, he claimed this created the perception the 12 others were the ones causing the problem, that wrongly created a “them and us” situation. “Some of the group of ten were very quiet but were not asked to go back. There was no support put in place for these people. One …

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Lack of inquest into Clare woman’s 2016 death is ‘shocking’

THE failure to conduct an inquest into the tragic death of a Doolin volunteer at sea is a breach of her constitutional rights, an international maritime lawyer has claimed. Mother-of-two Caitriona Lucas (41), an advanced coxswain with Doolin Coast Guard died off Kilkee on September 12, 2016. Ms Lucas was helping the neighbouring Coast Guard unit from Kilkee in the search for a missing man, but she died after its rigid inflatable boat (RIB) capsized in a shallow surf zone. Two other crew members on board the RIB, who were also thrown into the sea, survived. Michael Kingston has questioned why an inquest has yet to be held into the death of Caitriona Lucas, the first Irish Coast Guard volunteer to lose their life during active service. “It is shocking and totally unacceptable that almost six years after Ms Lucas’s death, no inquest has as yet been heard. “This is a breach of Caitriona Lucas’ human rights and the rights …

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Sacked Doolin volunteers willing to return so unit can function

TEN FORMER Doolin Coast Guard volunteers are willing to return as a group to facilitate a proper working of the unit, it emerged this week. Addressing a meeting of the Transport and Communications committee, Bernard Lucas recalled six volunteers resigned over alleged difficulties with management. “We were all sacked. They put an interim team in place. Four of the six people went back, two didn’t. They took back two members that had resigned two or three years previously. They asked two more to come back that made up eight people. They asked some from a group of ten to come back and they said no. “Four of the eight were qualified and two were retired so some of their certificates would be out. They left out a group of ten that could have continued the unit on all disciplines – boat, searching and climbing – who were fully certified. “With the eight, there isn’t enough qualified people to do climbing, …

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Coast guard association is launched in Kilkee

THE Irish Coast Guard Volunteers Representative Association (“ICGVRA”), consisting of existing and former IRCG volunteers, was launched in Kilkee recently following a moving commemoration for Caitríona Lucas who lost her life on September 12, 2016. During the ceremony Emma Lucas, daughter of Caitriona Lucas, placed a wreath for her mother, together with John O Mahony, Chairman ICGVRA, on the cliff top beside where she died when Kilkee’s Irish Coast Guard Delta Rib capsized. Many Irish Coast Guard volunteers both past and present spoke about the importance of having an independent association to represent their interests. ICGVRA vice-chairperson, Bernard Lucas said volunteers are central to the strength and capability of the Coast Guard Units and their value must be prioritised. “For far too long volunteers have had no voice. The time is now to stand together for the betterment of the Coast Guard as a whole and its volunteers.” The official launch was attended by Clare Oireachtas members Deputy Joe Carey …

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Plaque to mark Caitríona’s anniversary

IN the week of the first anniversary of his wife’s tragic death, Bernard Lucas has said he definitely senses her presence when he is on a call-out with Doolin Coast Guard. On September 12, 2016, Caitríona Lucas died, while on board a Kilkee Coast Guard rigid inflatable boat, during a search for Lissycasey man David McMahon (RIP). At 4.30pm this Saturday, a plaque, in memory of Caitríona, who lived with her husband and children in Liscannor and was originally from Ballyvaughan, will be unveiled at the Doolin Coast Guard Centre. The public is invited to attend the ceremony. “It would be great if people come along and see what we do,” Bernard Lucas told The Clare Champion this week. “People might not have seen the new rescue centre since it opened and this could be the opportunity to do that. They can see what we do and the gear that we have,” he added. Since Caitríona’s untimely death, Bernard has …

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