This article is from page 2 of the 2007-11-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
ENNIS is in line for a timely jobs boost with the news that both the Ma- lin Head and Valentia Marine Res- cue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC) are to be phased out in favour of the creation of a new central station in OE
The move, which could create as many as 50 jobs, is unlikely to take place until late in 2008 at the earli- est, but Ennis has already been ear- marked as the favoured location for the central centre. Cork and Galway have also been muted as possible sites for the new centre but it 1s believed
that Ennis is the most likely location because of its central position along the west coast.
Significant campaigns have been organised against the move in both Malin and Valentia, where the loss of jobs could have a crippling effect for the local economy. The decision represents a u-turn in Government policy as in 2002, the then Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dermot Ahern, gave commitments to the future of both centres and also funded a mas- sive upgrade of facilities.
“There is no technical reason to move the station from Valentia. It
was put there in 1914 because of the location but technology has come on over the years and the reception there is crystal clear,” said Dick Robinson, former coastguard member in Valen- tia and current member of the RNLI in Clare.
“There is no technical reason why it should be taken off of either place. This decision has been a huge bombshell for the people of Valen- tia. It would take away 17 jobs from a population of just 600 people. It’s a huge slice out of their economy. If they move the system to Clare or an- ywhere else it will work just as well, such is the technology of today. But
the people in Valentia, who are actu- ally looking out at the lifeboats and fishing boats as they are passing in and passing out, they are woven into the fabric of the system as opposed to just passing messages.
“If I was a politician and talking about decentralisation and assisting the far out places I would find it very difficult to talk about taking jobs from Valentia and Malin Head. The previous minister, Dermot Ahern, had decided to beef up the two sta- tions but now Minister Noel Demp- sey has reversed it. So there is still hope that it could be reversed once again.”