asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he is satisfied with the current effectiveness, structure and facilities available to the Coast Life Saving Service operating under the aegis of his Department.

While I am satisified that the Coast Life Saving Service as at present constituted is generally adequate, I am having the position kept constantly under review, with a view to ensuring that its organisation and equipment will continue to be adequate to cope with those marine eventualities most likely to occur around our coasts, and that it will be in a position to cooperate effectively with the other rescue agencies comprised in the overall marine rescue system.

Would the Minister accept that while one officer of his Department may have some responsibility for this service, marine authorities and authorities responsible for life saving around our coasts are satisfied that there is not in existence any such service as a coast life saving service?

I would not accept that.

The Minister should talk to the men in the lifeboats. They know whether there is any such service.

There are many lifeboat men in my constituency but I have not had any complaint from them in this regard.

Would the Minister agree that the lifeboat men around the coasts are not aware of the existence of any such service, a service that has not been in a position even to be called out?

A phantom.

Is the Minister's idea of this type of service the existence of a couple of guards who may be called occasionally to look along a beach when something is happening? That is not a life saving service.

That has no bearing on the matter. The Deputy ought to know that there are volunteers who are enrolled in a variety of areas around the coast for this purpose.

Perhaps we could have their names and addresses.

It is not a question of the guards. The Deputy does not appear to realise what is involved in the question he has asked.

I do.

When was enrolment last open and when were people invited to enrol for this service?

I am sure the situation is that they have volunteers in all areas.

Did I understand the Minister to say he was sure? Does he not know?

I have already pointed out that there are volunteers in a lot of areas who have agreed to do this type of work.

Since the Minister gave the information to the House and stated that volunteers had been enrolled, can he tell us when enrolment last took place.

That is a separate question.

No, I do not have the information.

It arises directly——

It may arise but the Minister is not likely to have the information.

What I can say is that since the start of the service they were alerted on 524 occasions, 164 lives have been saved and 41 bodies were recovered in the course of rescue operations.

The Minister is talking about a completely different situation altogether.

No, but I am certain that the Deputy is talking about something else.

I am.

He is not talking about what he has in his question.

The life boat service——

We must get more Questions answered during Question Time, at the same time being fair to everybody who has a question on the Order Paper.

18.