Hoax calls to the marine rescue services now exceed one a week and most are being made in the Dublin area, according to the Irish Coast Guard.
The service's rescue helicopters are now busier than ever, with missions last year up 10 per cent on 1999, according to statistics for 2000 issued yesterday. They show a slight increase in incidents involving pleasure craft, while there was a significant drop in call-outs involving fishing vessels - although last year's loss of fishermen in these waters was the worst in a decade.
Praising the Coast Guard network for its courage and selflessness, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, strongly condemned hoax callers - describing them as "beneath contempt". Some 54 false alarms occurred last year. "It is appalling that any individual should engage in this practice, which wastes the valuable time of the Coast Guard staff," Mr Fahey said. It also put their lives at risk, he added.
Some 4,831 people were saved or assisted in more than 1,700 incidents involving over 700 marine vessels, compared to 6,445 people in 1999.
Earlier this week, the Fine Gael spokesman on defence, Mr Michael Finucane, charged the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, with "gross neglect" for failing to re-institute a 24-hour search and rescue service at Waterford on the south east coast.
The current Alouette helicopter, which was put in place after the loss of the Air Corps Dauphin with four airmen in July 1999, can fly only in daylight hours.
The Naval Service ship, LE Aisling laid a wreath off the south west coast yesterday in memory of those who lost their lives after an Argentinean merchant ship, the Neuquen, was torpedoed 20 miles west of the Skelligs on January 20th, 1917.
The event took place at the request of the Longford/Westmeath Argentina Society, and a minute's silence was observed, followed by a short religious service.
