Irish Coast Guard staff and volunteers are no longer allowed to use their blue lights and sirens because of a directive issued to them. This is despite the fact that they are part of the blue-light services which respond to emergencies and their vehicles are fitted with them. Last year, they conducted over 1,100 missions and saved over 400 lives. This directive could have a serious impact on Coast Guard staff. As they are not allowed go at high-speed, the only mechanism they have to alert other motorists of an emergency to clear the road is their blue light. There is no record of any Coast Guard emergency vehicle being involved in or causing a road traffic accident of any description.

To have this ludicrous decision reversed, will the Taoiseach agree to meet with the relevant parties to give them a forum to raise their concerns about this directive? I had hoped to raise it with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, but he is not here.

The Deputy’s time is up.

I sent him correspondence on this issue last week but it is not surprising that I have got no response.

I support Deputy Munster on this matter. We have 950 volunteers and 43 units in the Irish Coast Guard. In County Louth, we have Coast Guard units in Greenore, Clogherhead and Drogheda. One volunteer told me in an email:

Using blue lights and sirens is for a good reason. Now, though, it appears that if we are making our way to a call, we will have just sit in traffic and pray we get there in time.

Blue lights can be used by the service’s counterpart in England. It baffles me as to why their use here has been withdrawn. The decision needs to be reviewed. These volunteers are responding to life-and-death calls. The importance of getting to a scene on time means the lights and sirens should be available to them to use.

The search-and-rescue boat operations training contractor was engaged in 2014. Irish Coast Guard management, however, was repeatedly told the contractor did not meet the standard required to deliver search-and-rescue boat operations training and that the instructors employed by the contractor did not have the qualifications, experience or knowledge required to deliver search-and-rescue training. A survey was conducted of all Coast Guard boat units in 2015 and the exact same result came back. It was also totally ignored. The contractor is still in place delivering courses which do not exist or for which it does not have the required qualifications.

It seems to be a case of jobs for the boys again. Can the Minister of State examine look into this and see what is happening within the Coast Guard unit?

The blue flashing light is not there for cosmetic reasons. It is to ensure that those responding to an emergency service can do so in a timely and efficient manner. I hoped that the Minister, Deputy Ross, would be here to take the questions but he never seems to be here for Questions on Promised Legislation. The decision to restrict first line responders from using blue lights shows the Government's complete disrespect for the volunteers who provide an invaluable service.

I thank the Deputy.

Eighteen months ago, my party and I produced legislation that would put first line responders on a statutory basis. The Government failed to take that on board. Will the Taoiseach now consider putting first line responders on a statutory basis so that situations such as this cannot persist?

I thank the Deputies for their contributions and I acknowledge the important role that everyone in our Coast Guard plays in protecting our citizens and visitors to this country. I commit to raising this with the Minister, Deputy Ross, immediately after Questions on Promised Legislation and I will ask him to respond directly to the Deputies as soon as possible.

One might as well put it on a paper plane; one would get a better response.