Waterford Council formally supports coast guard workers over 24-hour working shifts
'The SAR crew’s time should be valued. When they’re on their 24-hour shift, it should be recognized as 24 hours' work and not 16.5 hours.'
At the end of a three-hour-long Plenary meeting, Councillor Catherine Burke proposed a motion for the Council to formally recognise 24-hour shifts carried out by the coast guard to be recognized as 24-hour shifts.
Cllr Burke said: “This is a very fitting time to speak about this motion because we’re at the end of a lengthy meeting, we’re all growing weary, can you imagine if that was 11 o’clock at night and from this point on your working hours only counted as 15 minutes?
"That’s exactly what's happening for search and rescue teams who stand as a vital safety net for both our coast and our mountains here in Waterford. Whether it’s a missing hiker in dangerous terrain or a person in distress offshore, these volunteers are the ones who respond. Yet we rely on them to be ready at a moment’s notice.
"Their standby time after 11pm on a 24-hour shift. They must remain close to home or base and alert. It’s not recognized as on-duty time. When you’re on call, you can’t live normally, you can’t plan a family outing, you can’t relax, you have to stay near your gear.
"This isn’t about money, this is about time. The SAR crew’s time should be valued. When they’re on their 24-hour shift, it should be recognized as 24 hours' work and not 16.5 hours.
"For those of us who live in coastal or mountainous areas, we all know personally of people who have been in need of our much treasured 117 helicopter and its crew.
"Their work is vital, day and night, they give their expertise to rescue. We must support them as they support us."
Councillor John Hearne seconded the motion. He gave a short anecdote about his own experience on a fishing boat. He said, “You don’t get a second chance waiting on this.”
The motion then passed.
