asked the Minister for industry and Commerce what steps have been taken or are in contemplation to make available the services of helicopters for life saving, ordnance survey, the removal or emergency medical cases in remote areas to hospital, hydrographic survey and the many other purposes for which helicopters are most suitable.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Use of Helicopters for Life Saving.
The question of the possible use of helicopters is a matter which is kept under frequent review by my department and other Departments concerned.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply to a question on this subject in Dáil Éireann on the 4th December last. It was then indicated that a detailed survey has been made of the practicability of providing helicopters for use in this country under a scheme whereby the cost would be shared by potential users but that it had been found that there would not be anything like sufficient support to make such a scheme practicable. I may add that such a service would be very costly