Mayo Mountain Rescue welcomes nationwide funding

Mayo Mountain Rescue welcomes nationwide funding


Ciara Galvin

A special one-off grant of €200,000 for Mountain Rescue Ireland to purchase new vehicles and equipment has been welcomed by Mayo Mountain rescue and its 40 volunteers.
The funding was announced by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring.
Robert Hunt from the Westport-based Mayo Mountain rescue said ideally the funding would be split evenly over the ten mountain rescue organisations in the south of the country.
If this is the case, Robert said funding of €20,000 would result in the organisation’s running costs being close to being covered for the year.
“Our running costs are €20,000 to €25,000 per year and we get funding from the coastguards, but to make up the shortfall for equipment and training we need to fundraise,” said Mr Hunt, adding that funding would ‘lift a huge burden’.
“It’s definitely brilliant and we welcome it,” concluded Hunt. There are approximately 30 volunteers with Mayo Mountain Rescue which is based in Westport, with 40 percent of the volunteers coming from around the county to help in rescues.
Speaking about the funding, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring said mountain rescue teams ‘play a hugely important role in supporting trekkers and mountaineers’.
“The various mountain rescue teams work closely with the Irish Coast Guard and the Gardaí on rescue operations. But having met Mountain Rescue Ireland earlier this year, and discussed ongoing issues with equipment and vehicles, we also decided to provide a special once-sports capital allocation of €200,000. This grant will be used for new vehicles and equipment with the precise details to be arranged between my officials and Mountain Rescue Ireland,” said the minister.