Oh-ho they've done it now! They've just crossed the proverbial line in the sand. The people of Waterford - and beyond I'm sure - are hopping mad now. Hopping mad that the government has mis-managed this country so very badly that they now need to actually put peoples' lives at risk in order to save under a measly million euro a year. It is just incredible.
I am consoling myself by thinking that surely when someone (outside the Department of Finance) looks again at the facts here that they will realise the blunder they are about to make and make a more 'enligthened' decision. If they do, we will all rejoice.
I have been doing some digging and seemingly the rescue service based at Waterford Regional Airport were out more than 110 times last year with about 10% of those calls at night. Around 49 people were assisted with 9 of those rescued at night. It is surely acceptable to assume that at least some of those rescues prevented fatalities.
I would like to ask why Waterford was chosen? What is the difference between the Waterford service and that provided in other parts of Ireland. I understand that 2009 was the local services busiest year so far and that they were busier than other bases - although I don't have official confirmation of that. So did they just stick a pin in the map?
If you check out the 'Save 24hr Search & Rescue Helicopter Cover in South-East' Page on Facebook which was only started up yesterday, it currently has over 5,500 members - most with real people posting under their own names. Membership is going up at a rate of knots, to put it mildly.
I have written to the Mayor asking him to organise a cross-party open public meeting with Mayors and Chairs from across the South and South East where a campaign can be put together to save our 24 hour Search & Rescue Service. There aren't too many, but I do believe that this issue will garner regional support.
Most people who know me know that my husband works at sea on a tallship and manys the time he has been assisted in emergencies by air sea rescue services around the globe. What if he were to have an emergency in his home port waters....at night? If this is allowed to happen it is unconscionable.
I haven't seen an issue take hold like it for quite some time - this is what people are talking about in cafés, shops and workplaces right now.
To save a million euro (less from what I hear) a year???? My God has it really come to this?
Maybe this is the straw that will finally break the camels back; where the people of the south east will finally say NO MORE and get up and work together to save this service.
May it be the first of many such actions if that is so!
3 comments:
Well said. What is happening with the Search and Rescue Helicopter is nothing but a disgrace and a kick in the teeth not just to the people of Waterford, but a kick in the teeth as well to the people of Wexford, Kilkenny, South Tipperary and to the people of a considerable portion of Cork. I have no doubt that in the next day or two we will get an announcement that there wont be any cut to what is already in the south east. Those that came up with the idea will have to see that €1,000,000 is a small price if it means that just one life can be saved.
Mary, this is something that must be resisted by us all. The Search and Rescue Service is an exceptional service and has served the people of the South East well - Seamus
Let it be on the concious of those in the Dail for the rest of their lives. God help those who may need this priceless service some day. And priceless are the lives that will be lost. Petitions and discussions is clearly getting us no where. Is there anyone that knows of a protest? Because I'm sure there would be a massive attendance. The people of Waterford and Wexford well know how valuable this helicopter is, to the fishing villages of the south east, to the fishermen and their families, to the tourists that visit and to the rest of the coast line all over Ireland. Anger doesn't describe how we all feel right now. Disbelief, disgust, abandonment.
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