VALENTIA COAST Guard station in Co Kerry dealt with the highest number of rescues involving jet-skis and powered pleasure craft needing assistance last year, according to the latest figures.
Of 241 "powered pleasure craft" incidents, Valentia dealt with 111, Dublin dealt with 83 and Malin Head in Co Donegal, 47. Thirteen surfers were helped by Valentia, seven by Malin Head and one by the Dublin Coast Guard. Dublin was busiest when it came to dinghies and sailing yachts.
The figures are felt to reflect increased interest in these leisure activities in the regions.
The breakdown of figures released by the Irish Coast Guard show the Dublin station dealt with most of the total number of search and rescue incidents involving the service last year. However, it was followed closely by the Valentia Coast Guard station. Valentia dealt with 713 incidents in 2007, Dublin dealt with 874 and Malin Head was involved in 374 incidents overall.
The incidents dealt with by the three stations in 2007 include sea, river and lake and mountain searches and involved leisure as well as commercial fishing and merchant marine activity.
However, the Kerry station and the Donegal station at Malin Head were involved in co-ordinating most of the serious marine medical evacuations from shipping and from the islands. Valentia co-ordinated 100 such rescues while Malin Head co-ordinated 71. The Dublin centre was involved in 19 medical evacuations.
Valentia was also involved in most of the medical advice incidents and most calls to medical centres, followed by Donegal and then Dublin. The stations provided assistance to 3,355 people, with Dublin assisting 1,413, Valentia 1,307 and Malin Head providing assistance to 635 people.
In the recovery of bodies from the sea, the Kerry station was involved in 37 of the cases out of a national total of 60, followed by Malin Head (12 bodies recovered) and Dublin (11 bodies recovered).
Merchant vessels were also mostly dealt with in Dublin. It also dealt with 126 fishing vessels requiring assistance, followed by 107 by Valentia and 45 by Malin Head.
Valentia dealt with most of the increase in cave rescues ( it co-ordinated three of the four such rescues). Significantly, the Kerry station, where staff have working knowledge of Spanish, was involved in providing most assistance to French and Spanish coast guard stations.
Amid continuing concern yesterday about the future of the Malin and Valentia stations, Kerry senator Mark Daly (FF) said he and Donegal Oireachtas members wanted the heads of the Irish Coast Guard, along with the author of a report recommending closure of the stations, to be brought before the Oireachtas transport committee to answer questions on claims in the report.
This should take place "before any decision is reached", Mr Daly said.
At the invitation of Mr Daly, the Spanish ambassador, Dr José de Carvajal, recently observed a sitting of the Seanad where the future of the Marine Rescue Centres in Valentia and Malin was debated.
Fine Gael TDs Tom Sheahan (Kerry South) and Joe McHugh (Donegal North East) yesterday released a joint press statement calling on Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to address both Kerry and Donegal county councils on the issue.