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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Nov 1969

Vol. 242 No. 7

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Air-Sea Rescue Services.

53.

andMr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for Transport and Power the full list of parties directly consulted in the drawing up of the detailed emergency procedures concerning air-sea rescue services; and the full list of parties to whom these procedures have been promulgated, with particular reference to the east coast air traffic situation.

54.

andMr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will state, further to his statement on 30th October concerning air-sea rescue services that the different official services which may be concerned in search and rescue operations carry out appropriate exercises at regular intervals, the actual number of occasions during the past twelve months when such co-ordinated exercises occurred along the east coast involving Aer Lingus, the Dublin Airport traffic control authorities, the lifeboat services and other parties concerned in this area.

With your permission a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together.

As I indicated previously, search and rescue arrangements and procedures are provided in accordance with the relevant standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The specific emergency procedures within this framework which apply in Ireland have been drawn up in consultation with the following parties, who would be directly concerned with their implementation.

Irish Naval Service, Irish Air Corps, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the British National Air Traffic Control Service, Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centres at Petreavie and Plymouth, Eurocontrol Regional Service.

The emergency procedures have been promulgated to these parties and to Irish Airlines and are available freely to all other parties who may be concerned. I shall be happy to send the Deputies copies if they are interested. In addition, relevant parts of the procedures are included in the aeronautical publications of the Department which are issued to all airlines engaged in services to and from Ireland. These procedures apply to emergencies affecting aircraft within the Irish air traffic control area whether on land or sea.

As I indicated previously, appropriate exercises are carried out by individual agencies which may be involved in search and rescue operations. I am informed that combining exercises were carried out by the Air Corps and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on five occasions in 1968. Co-ordinated exercises involving simulated aircraft emergencies are not carried out and it is the considered view of my technical advisers that simulated exercises of this kind are neither necessary nor practicable.

The Deputies will appreciate that aircraft emergencies involve not only the search and rescue agencies at home and abroad whom I have mentioned but all other parties who can assist, including the Garda Síochána, the Coast Life Saving Service and all shipping and aircraft, military and civil, which may be in the area. Realistic simulated exercises would involve an unacceptable interference with normal air traffic and air traffic control procedures. In any event, there are a sufficient number of aircraft emergency alerts from time to time to provide experience for those concerned with the emergency procedures.

Would the Minister be prepared to forward, particularly to the lifeboat service along the east coast, the emergency procedures which we are now informed were allegedly promulgated by these parties because, to the best of my knowledge, the lifeboat service on the east coast maintain that they were neither consulted nor involved in the promulgation of these alleged emergency procedures?

I will communicate with the Minister about this but it is quite clear from the answer given to the question that there are such exercises.

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