A thirty-year-old coastal watch service is being revived in Galway in the wake of the dramatic seizure of €165m of cocaine off Cork last week.
Staffed 365 days per year by Revenue officers on a 24-hour basis, Coastal Watch is a dedicated, confidential phoneline which members of the public can use to report suspicious activity at sea or in coastal areas.
Relaunched at an event in Clifden last week, and attended by officials from several law enforcement agencies, reaction amongst Galway’s marine community has been mixed, with support for the service tempered by concern at a lack of police resources for Galway’s coastline.
At present Galway gardaí and Revenue officials have no marine assets, compared to a decade ago when a number of rigid inflatable boats (RIBs ) manned by Customs officers were available to gardaí in the western region. In a statement, Garda HQ said the Athlone-based Garda Water Unit provides operational support and search capabilities for County Galway when requested.
Speaking to the Galway Advertiser, Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche says he sympathises with fishermen’s concerns, and confirmed he has a budget to rent vessels for Garda use when necessary.
