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Lough Swilly RNLI's busiest year 28.10.08

But Buncrana breakwater delay continues to hamper operations

by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent

IN THE week when the RNLI revealed it had rescued 503 people in 439 launches across Ireland in the first six months of 2008, local RNLI spokesman Joe Joyce said the Lough Swilly station has had its busiest year in at least five years.
The RNLI statistics for January-June 2008 showed 22 launches and 14 people rescued, but Mr Joyce says the two Lough Swilly based lifeboats have been launched another ten times since July.
“Even with the bad weather, it has been an exceptionally busy year,” Joyce said. “The year started off with a rescue of a crabber at a cave on the Swilly, and in March we were involved in the search for the Glengad fishermen, the late Danny and Francis McDaid. The good weather at Easter meant the lough was especially busy with pleasure craft and we rescued a couple of children who had gone adrift in a canoe while a man drifted out from Rathmullan on a lilo.”
The busiest stations in Ireland were Dún Laoghaire, which launched 36 times, and Crosshaven in Cork, which launched 25 times. Along with Howth in County Dublin, Lough Swilly was the third busiest station with 22 launches.
The RNLI’s new Atlantic 85 class boat, with a crew of four, has performed well since it was commissioned in April, but the Tyne Class inshore boat continues to be hampered by
Lough Swilly RNLI's new B-Class Atlantic 85 boat in action.
tidal conditions at Buncrana Pier.
“We can’t launch at low tide, and during spring tides launches can be delayed for hours at a time,” Mr Joyce said.
Buncrana’s long awaited breakwater is the solution to the tidal problem, but the start of project has been delayed time and again.
The breakwater was discussed at the Buncrana Town Council meeting of 8 October where it was revealed that none of the €900,000 allocated to the project for 2008 has yet been drawn down. Work has been held up because a foreshore lease between the Department of Agriculture and Donegal County Council has not yet been signed.
Assistant county manager Liam Kelly told councillors that the €900,000 must be drawn down before 28 November, but admitted there was no prospect of the work being completed by that date.
More ominously, Mr Kelly also revealed that no money has been allocated to the breakwater for 2009.
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