One of the country's busiest mountain-rescue teams still has to pay for its own petrol and its own equipment. Members give their time voluntarily to the saving of others and also need to collect additional money for rescue operations and insurance for their injured charges and themselves.
Following three tragic deaths on the mountains of Kerry over Christmas and the rescue of a number of injured, politicians lined up to offer support and express admiration.
The understanding was Kerry Mountain Rescue Team would finally get the kind of government support they had looked for since 1966 when they were set up.
"If you had firemen out collecting money for fire engines, you would be most surprised," Mr Gerry Christie, spokesman for the team, said yesterday.
The team deals with 15 of the 20 highest peaks in the country and these include Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil.
They answer on average 25 callouts a year, often missing work as well as giving up free time.
The €10,000 which the team gets from the Department of the Environment covers roughly one fifth of their annual needs.
Now the funding responsibility has been transferred to the Department of the Marine, which "rescued" the funding operation when it became clear funding had "fallen down an administrative black hole", says Mr Christie.
But for the loyalty of groups like the Killarney Soroptimists, Bank of Ireland staff donations, the Rotarians, as well as their own fund-raising swims and exercises, the team would find it difficult to make ends meet, Mr Laide said.
The team has received many donations following the Christmas tragedies.
"It's not that we mind fund-raising. We are not complaining. But we have a strong conviction our expenses with regard to vehicle equipment, and insurance and so on should be paid for by the state," Mr Christie said.