New decompression chamber is sought for the west

Increased marine activity off the west coast highlights the need for a new decompression chamber for divers, the Irish Underwater Council has said.

The existing chamber, which is 25 years old, is run voluntarily at University College Hospital, Galway (UCHG) with minimum State support. It is frequently used to treat divers with "bends", and has also been used for cases of carbon-monoxide poisoning. Members of the Galway SubAqua Club provide a year-round back-up to Dr Noel O'Flynn, a consultant at UCHG.

The Galway hospital supplies oxygen and a compressor, while the voluntary effort amounts to about 500 hours a year.

The council, Comhairle Fo Thuinn (CFT), has been lobbying the Department of Health and Children to fund a new chamber, which could also be used to treat victims of smoke inhalation and patients with ulcers of gangrene. The Western Health Board has given its support in principle, and has earmarked a possible location in the basement of the Galway regional hospital.

CFT says a new unit would cost about £200,000. Oil and gas exploration companies usually have decompression chambers, but may still need the Galway chamber in an emergency. Fishfarming companies also rely on it when their divers get into difficulties.

Underwater archaeology is now an extensive part of amateur diving activity in these waters.

Projects funded by the Heritage Council have included surveys of a drowned forest off the south-east coast, a drowned village and photographic monitoring of the Derrynane cannon site off Kerry.