It follows several years of disputes within the organisation.
IRISH COAST GUARD members have been informed that whistleblowing laws have been amended so that volunteers are now “explicitly included” under Protected Disclosure legislation.
It follows several years of disputes in the organisation, in part due to claims of increased “red tape” when responding to incidents and over how disciplinary proceedings against members have been handled.
Management sent units an email in recent days informing them of the change.
The move has been welcomed by the Irish Coast Guard Volunteers Representative Association – a breakaway outfit representing current and former members – although it cautioned that the implications of the policy change would need to be better understood on what it means in practice for members.
The Coast Guard, which responded to almost 2,700 incidents in 2022, is comprised of over 900 volunteer members nationwide who are overseen by paid staff under the governance of the Department of Transport.
In late 2021, several members of an experienced unit in Doolin, Co Clare were stood down permanently after relationships had “irretrievably broken down” within the unit, which was rocked in 2016 when their colleague Caitriona Lucas died tragically during a search in Kilkee.
The unit was later reconstituted allowing new and some other members to join.
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