The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
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 day they are volunteers and the next day they are sacked.
“A lot of people are emotionally hurt by what happened. It is an awful pity. A lot of work and training had gone into the unit, which was one of the best in the country. Now it is gone.
“Standing down the team made no sense. There was no need to stand down the 12 members who were left, they were more than capable of doing the callouts and rescues.
“This team could have done the three disciplines as we had 12 fully qualified members. We have lost the cliff climbing team near the highest Cliffs in Ireland. The 12 that didn’t resign, you would have thought they would be put back in as the interim team.
“It doesn’t add up. Dublin have got who they want in control in Doolin. They wanted to get rid of a few people out of the unit and this was their way of doing it.
“It is very clear it was all orchestrated to get a few people out of the unit. I think it has backfired. How long will they hold on to the boat? I hope they will.
“Show me a football team or a group, or team that doesn’t have some problems? When the job needs to be done, everyone works together and then goes home. You don’t have to be best friends with someone to work with them.”
He described the absence of the climbing team as a huge loss, as if someone slips and breaks their leg on a ledge, a casualty will have to wait for hours before a qualified team can move them.
“A few weeks ago, a woman broke her leg near the Cliffs of Moher. Three members from Doolin Coast Guard arrived on the scene. You can’t stretcher someone with three people.
“It sounds great when you read on the papers Doolin Coast Guard was tasked. But when they turned up, what could they do? Nothing. The reality is they don’t have the numbers.
“Team members should have an input into the selection of a new Officer in Charge (OIC) for a seven-year period. If you put in the wrong OIC, you will have problems. The OIC can reapply for another seven years after their first term.”
He noted some of the members will not always be available to crew a boat due to work commitments as one of them works on an oil ring, one is a paramedic that works shifts and another member is a bus driver.
