I am delighted to be here with you in Miltown Malbay at the opening of the Clare Water Safety Lifesaving Training Centre, and also to have the opportunity to mark the achievements of an organisation that has been making such a significant contribution to the welfare and safety of our society for seventy years in its different formations. I thank John Leech for his invitation to join you, and all of you for welcoming me so generously.

As another summer approaches, many of our citizens…