398. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Transport the support and access to funds for the purchase of a new boat or capital investment available to an organisation (details supplied) in County Wexford and for such services and in particular. [60567/26]

I wish to advise the Deputy that Water Safety Ireland (WSI), under the aegis of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, has governance responsibility for the CRBIs. WSI is currently conducting an external review to evaluate CRBI’s current operational model, governance, training effectiveness and inspection regime, with input from the IRCG as appropriate. I understand the review is well underway and I look forward to learning the outcomes in due course.

My Department, through the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG), is responsible for the administrative arrangements of an annual maintenance grant for each of the eleven independent Community Rescue Boats of Ireland (CRBI) teams which are declared resources to the Coast Guard, including Cahore Inshore Search and Rescue.

While the IRCG does not provide capital investment to CRBIs, the annual maintenance grant is intended to support the ongoing operational and maintenance costs of declared CRBI units.

The maintenance grant paid to Cahore Inshore Search and Rescue for the previous 6 years is below:

The IRCG expects to make the 2026 payments, at the same level as previous years, to the eleven CRBIs, including Cahore Inshore Search and Rescue, before year end. The outcome of the WSI review will inform level of 2027 grant payments, subject to budget availability.