Voluntary Services News

Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has today opened the newly-built Coast Guard Station in Killybegs which provides the voluntary crew with top-class accommodation and training facilities. It’s the third new Coast Guard building opened by Minister Varadkar since the election, and a fourth new premises will open at Doolin in the next few months. Minister Varadkar is hoping to open at least one new Coast Guard facility every year for the life-saving Coast Guard volunteers. Minister Varadkar also confirmed that the Coast Guard has commenced a new round of recruitment for radio officers for its three monitoring stations in Dublin, Valentia and Malin.

Apostleship of the Sea volunteer ship visitor Joe McHugh has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire medal) for his services to radioactive substances regulation and also for his voluntary services to the community. For many years Dr McHugh has worked in the Radioactive Substances Regulation department at the Environment Agency’s headquarters in Bristol working to ensure radioactive material is used and disposed of properly throughout England. The 59-year-old married…