asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he proposes to purchase a helicopter for the purpose of rescue work in this country and around the coasts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Purchase of Helicopter.
4.
I would refer the Deputy to the comprehensive reply given by my predecessor to a similar question on 16th April, 1959. The position remains unchanged.
Does the Minister not accept the fact that a helicopter is very desirable for the purpose of saving life? Does he not further accept the fact that, if we need a helicopter here, we have to apply to some other country to provide this facility? In view of that, surely it is not too much to expect this nation to buy a helicopter for itself, if only for the sake of the prestige of the Army and the life saving services generally.
If the Deputy will read the reply given in April, 1959, he will find all the arguments dealt with there. An inter-departmental committee was established in November, 1957, to examine the position with regard to the use of helicopters in the saving of life and that committee reported that, since 1946, there have been no occasions on which the availability of a helicopter to our life saving services would have saved lives.
Surely, if there should be an accident off Shannon Airport, for example, we would need a helicopter to cope with the situation? Every other civilised country has a helicopter.
This is becoming a debate and not a question.
I do not see why we should not have a helicopter.