A consultancy review of the Irish Coast Guard recommends that it be established as an agency and cut its chain of control centres from three to two.
The report for the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources by consultants Deloitte and Touche also recommends that the Coast Guard take responsibility for mountain rescue, and consider merging with the Irish Water Safety Association.
The Irish Coast Guard, formerly the Irish Marine Emergency Service, is run presently by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, and responsible for search and rescue offshore and on inland waterways.
It is also responsible for pollution control, salvage and protection of the marine environment to 200 miles. Last year, its 52 units at strategic locations saved or assisted more than 5,000 lives, working with such agencies as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the Air Corps and the Naval Service.
A copy of the report seen by The Irish Times says it is "technologically possible" to run the Coast Guard from two centres - where currently there are three at Dublin, Malin, Co Donegal, and Valentia, Co Kerry. Significant cost savings could be achieved.
A previous consultants' study three years ago caused a row within the service when it said that only one of the three coast radio stations at Valentia, Malin and Dublin was required due to technological improvements.
Subsequently, Malin and Valentia were upgraded from coast radio stations to marine rescue sub-centres.
The Deloitte and Touche review recommends that the Irish Coast Guard take responsibility for enforcing by-laws relating to pleasure craft regulation.
It says that co-ordination of mountain rescue and cave rescue should transfer to the Coast Guard, and the Irish Mountain Rescue Association and Irish Cave Rescue Organisation should "declare resources" working with it.
On responsibility for inland waterways, the review says the Coast Guard should negotiate the extension of "declared resources", including helicopters, Dublin Fire Brigade and other county fire services, lifeguards, Civil Defence, the RNLI and inshore rescue services. It should also draw up liaison agreements for both coastal and inshore rescue with the Garda, the Naval Service, port authorities and a number of other bodies.
It says that a private communications network based on microwave radio technology should be constructed for Coast Guard cover of inland waterways. It notes that the construction cost of a national microwave network has been estimated at €8 million, assuming a network of 60 hill-top locations.
Noting that the Coast Guard is heavily dependent on its voluntary infrastructure, and review says this should be maintained as a principle, with payment of expenses limited to basic costs and call-outs.
It notes that the level of payments should be assessed, however, as it has not changed since 1996-97.
The review makes a series of recommendations on a new management structure, including appointment of three assistant directors reporting to the director.
