About Us
The Irish Coast Guard is a division of the Department of Transport. We are one of the state’s four principal emergency services, working alongside An Garda Síochána, the National Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service. The Coast Guard provides maritime search and rescue, maritime casualty and pollution response service.
MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE
The Coast Guard is Ireland’s national emergency service for the sea. We are responsible for leading and coordinating all search and rescue missions within Ireland’s dedicated rescue zone. This large area reaches about 200 miles off the West Coast, 30 miles off the South Coast and across the Irish Sea.
Our role is to provide life-saving services to anyone in danger. This includes responding to emergencies out at sea, along our rocky coastlines and on Ireland’s inland lakes and rivers.
MARITIME CASUALTY
The Coast Guard is legally responsible for coordinating the response to serious emergencies at sea. These incidents, often called “maritime casualties”, include any major accidents involving ships, maritime infrastructure, or people in danger.
We respond to a wide range of dangerous situations, such as when vessels catch fire, run aground or collide. Our teams also step in when a ship has a mechanical failure or faces other serious hazards that put lives at risk.
A key part of our role is spotting these dangers early. To do this, the Coast Guard:
- Manages Ireland’s sea communications: We manage the technology used to watch over our waters.
- Monitors sea traffic: We keep a constant eye on ship movements and listen for distress signals.
Stays ready 24/7: We provide round-the-clock channels to receive reports of accidents or pollution.
POLLUTION RESPONSE
The Coast Guard plays a leading role in protecting Ireland’s marine environment from pollution. We prepare for and manage threats like oil spills and hazardous chemicals that could damage our coastline or marine life. Our dedicated fixed wing aircraft enables us to monitor the sea and investigate pollution incidents, as required by international rules.
Our three rescue coordination centres in Dublin, Malin Head, and Valentia operate a 24-hour notification system. This allows us to receive reports of pollution at any time so we can respond quickly.
Under Irish law, our officers have the power to step in during maritime incidents to prevent or reduce environmental damage. The Coast Guard is also responsible for carrying out the National Maritime Oil Spill Contingency Plan to ensure Ireland is always ready to act.