Richard O'Donoghue urges government to protect search and rescue
Richard O'Donoghue addressed the importance of search-and-rescue services and the Irish Red Cross, praising volunteers and urging the government to protect and properly recognise their work. He criticised inconsistent regulations on working hours and called attention to local fundraising efforts, including a 14th December 'Light up Limerick' event at the Northern Trust.
He described search-and-rescue personnel as "absolutely unbelievable" and thanked them for their work. He emphasised that every minute counts in emergencies and that volunteers and crews risk their lives in floods, snow and at sea.
He challenged the disparity in how working hours are recognised, comparing rules for truck drivers with the lack of formal recognition for search-and-rescue shifts. He asked whether departments would recognise every hour if their own staff worked 24-hour shifts and urged equal treatment for those who carry out lifesaving work.
He highlighted fundraising activity required to maintain services and named organisations benefiting from local efforts, mentioning Abbeyfield Search and Rescue, the Irish Red Cross, Dune and Camalop. He invited those in Limerick to attend the 14th December Light up Limerick event at the Northern Trust to support the Red Cross and other rescue services.
He concluded by asking the government to ensure that the Red Cross, search-and-rescue groups and other voluntary services are protected and properly supported so they can continue to save lives. He emphasised that "every life matters" and urged policymakers to consider the position of those who deliver emergency help.
Praise for search and rescue
He described search-and-rescue personnel as "absolutely unbelievable" and thanked them for their work. He emphasised that every minute counts in emergencies and that volunteers and crews risk their lives in floods, snow and at sea.
Regulatory inconsistency and hours
He challenged the disparity in how working hours are recognised, comparing rules for truck drivers with the lack of formal recognition for search-and-rescue shifts. He asked whether departments would recognise every hour if their own staff worked 24-hour shifts and urged equal treatment for those who carry out lifesaving work.
Fundraising and local support
He highlighted fundraising activity required to maintain services and named organisations benefiting from local efforts, mentioning Abbeyfield Search and Rescue, the Irish Red Cross, Dune and Camalop. He invited those in Limerick to attend the 14th December Light up Limerick event at the Northern Trust to support the Red Cross and other rescue services.
Call to government
He concluded by asking the government to ensure that the Red Cross, search-and-rescue groups and other voluntary services are protected and properly supported so they can continue to save lives. He emphasised that "every life matters" and urged policymakers to consider the position of those who deliver emergency help.
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Transcript
What cost would you put on life? That's the answer. What cost would you put on life? If it was in your own circumstances and you needed something, what cost would you put on your own life? When it comes to our search and rescue, all I can say is thank you. They are absolutely unbelievable what they do. If they work 24 hours, the 24 hours are recognised. You're brilliant at putting in regulations for different people, whether you're driving a truck, you're going to tell them how many minutes and how many hours they have to work, and you regulate that. But when you have such an important search and rescue, what are you putting in? So it's okay for one side and not the other side. Ask your own department if they were to work 24 hours. Would they recognise every hour then? Same people. Blood running through their veins. Ask them would they recognise at 24 hours then. As I have the floor here, and I look at an awful lot, we're coming up to Christmas, and the Irish Red Cross. Anyone that's in Limerick, you're all welcome. 14th of December at the Northern Trust. Light up Limerick. Fundraising for the Irish Red Cross. Fundraising to provide a service. Fundraising for the goodwill of people so they can help them for Search and Rescues, for Abbeyfield Search and Rescue, for Red Cross and Dune and Camalop. All the other areas that come out and help people. But yet, they've got to go out and fundraise to make sure they can give a quality service. To protect people. To help people. And we then look at our search and rescue. At a time when people in the fishing industry, from a time that people might be stranded somewhere, from a time of flooding, from a time of snow. And we see what they do at the time of need. Every minute counts. So often people come out and say different lives matter. Well, do you know something? The Red Cross lives matter too. Because they have to have a life themselves as well. A balance. Every life matters. Every life that we can help to fund to make sure that we can actually protect more people matter. So when you're looking through your, what would you call it? Your ball and you try and see everything? Look from the other side of it. And if you were in that position, would you like if you were treated that way yourself? So look in the mirror. And say, if that was me and if I was out doing my search and rescue, would you like to be treated that way? That's what it's about. So we can take this around the house again in different ways. And I thank every organisation, regardless, from what you do, going out fundraising to help people at any time. I thank you for every bit of service you've delivered. And now I'm asking the government to make sure that the Red Cross and the search and rescue and all those are protected. Thank you. Deputy,