The Workers’ Party have called on the government to scrap their plan to close down or downgrade the coastguard centres at Valentia Island in Co. Kerry and Malin Head in Donegal and replace them with urbanised centres in Galway and Drogheda.

Workers’ Party spokesman and Cork port worker Denis O'Connor said that the importance of the two stations was highlighted today by a dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a stricken trawler at Fanad Head,  Co. Donegal which had been coordinated by the nearby Malin Head Coastguard station.

“Valentia and Malin coastguard stations play a huge role in their local communities but area also a huge asset to coastal communities right around the country.  Replacing them with high-tech centres in urban locations simply does not make sense.  The employees of the existing stations have accumulated years of experience and to remove them would take the heart of the communities, but it would also throw away over a century of accumulated knowledge.   The decision may look very well on paper but it makes no sense and is opposed by fishermen, mariners and people the length and breadth of this country, North and South”, said the Workers’ Party spokesman.