Remarks by Minister of State Jack Chambers at the launch of the Be Summer Ready 2024 Campaign

Good morning everyone. I am very pleased to participate again in the launch of the Be Summer Ready campaign and I thank you for all your attendance here today.

This provides an opportunity to set out some key messages and areas that people should be mindful of as the warmer, summer months approach.

As Minister with responsibility for the Irish Coast Guard, I want to highlight the importance of water safety and the need to carefully plan out any activities, regardless of scale, prior to venturing out.

Swimmers, kayakers, boaters – I encourage you all to always ‘Think Water Safety - Plan & Prepare’:

• often practical and simple steps can save lives - such as checking the weather forecast and times of tides for your local area;
• swimming at lifeguarded beaches and within your depth;
• and ensuring that you have the right equipment for the water-based activity you are about to undertake, will help ensure you return home safely

Let someone know when venturing out and always have a means to call for assistance.

In 2023 the Irish Coast Guard assisted more than 600 people, resulting in lives saved or prevention of long-term hospitalisation or life changing injuries. Already in 2024, the Coast Guard has responded to over 500 incidents to date and it is gearing up for another busy summer period.

Also led by the Irish Coast Guard, the Marine Safety Communications Working Group collates data in relation to incident trends on the water such as swimmers caught out by rip tides; persons stranded by incoming tides; inflatables that have been swept out to sea; or persons in difficulty and not having the right equipment to call for assistance.

The work of this group informs further public education and media messaging campaigns across the Summer, including Water Safety Awareness week and International Drowning Prevention Day. This work is very much appreciated.

I would like to thank and acknowledge the work of all of our incredible and dedicated volunteers who are an integral element of our Search And Rescue (SAR) services.

This includes the 900+ Coast Guard volunteers, the RNLI and Community Inshore Rescue Services working closely with our world class search and rescue helicopter service - and coordinated by Coast Guard staff at the Marine Rescue Coordination Centres in Dublin, Malin Head & Valentia.

Last year Government gave approval to award the contract for a new Coast Guard SAR aviation service, and transition to the new contract will commence later this year.

This contract provides for the retention of four Helicopter bases, all capable of providing 24-hour SAR services as well as day and night aero medical support to our offshore islands and support to the National Ambulance service.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our friends and colleagues in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on their 200-year anniversary and express my appreciation for the 200 years of steadfast dedication and service along our coasts.

So to re-emphasise:

• plan your activity carefully and only swim on lifeguarded protected beaches or on areas with which you are familiar
• if you do see somebody in trouble Dial 112 or use Marine VHF channel 16 and ask for the Coast Guard. Remember, ‘Think Water Safety – Plan & Prepare’

I’d also like to take this opportunity to talk about safety on our roads over the coming summer months.

We have seen a really concerning rise in road fatalities in recent times which has shocked the whole country and impacted families, friends and communities up and down Ireland.

It may seem counterintuitive, but summertime is in fact the most dangerous time of the year on our roads – and I am acutely aware of the road tragedies that occurred last summer involving young people.

With schools closed, more young people are out and about in our communities, and more people are on the roads visiting family and friends.

It’s also a busy time of year for our farming communities and we can expect an increase in the number of agricultural vehicles using the road.

All this poses more safety risks. As drivers, we need to take extra care to be aware of vulnerable road users.

We will be running road safety campaigns over the summer. As a government, working with agencies like An Garda Siochana, the Road Safety Authority and others, we are determined to do everything in our power to reverse the trend we have seen and I appeal to everyone to use our roads safely this summer.

Thank you for your attendance here today. I wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable summer.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.