This article is from page 1 of the 2012-05-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
EMERGENCY services recorded one of their busiest weekends in recent years as the Banner county took to the water to take advantage of the scorching heat.
A large number of incidents were recorded in the North and East of the county – with coast guard units in Doolin and Killaloe responding to seven different incidents, none of which resulted in major injury or the loss of life. This hot spell comes a week before the roll out of lifeguard services in county – with lifeguard’s not due to begin work at Lahinch, Kilkee, Fanore and Spanish Point until this weekend. Councillors at yesterday’s North Clare Area Meet- ing of Clare County Council suggested that an “emergency response team” be put in place to react to large numbers of locals and tourists descending on Clare’s coastal beaches outside the normal tourist season.
Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, Clare County Council’s Civil Defence and Water Safety Officer, Liam Griffin, said that lifeguard services had been maintained in the county – despite cuts to all other areas of the local authority staffing.
“Despite a considerable reduction in local government funding and other cutbacks within the sector, we have taken the decision to retain the same level of lifeguard cover as provided in previous years,” he said.