asked the Minister for Transport and Power the cost of installing the ASR5 system at Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Airport Radar System.
13.
(Cavan): The installation of the AR5 radar system at Dublin Airport is not yet completed; the cost of the project, to date, is £259,000. There is no AR5 system installed at Shannon Airport.
Can the Minister say how long this installation has been going on, or is part of it ready for use, or has part of it been ready for use and not utilised?
(Cavan): The contract was first placed as far back as 1969. The contract ran into difficulties in regard to the tower. The tower had to be re-sited by the contractor. Following that, certain arrangements had to be made in regard to the staff. The total cost to date is £259,000 of which £215,000 is for equipment and the balance of £44,000 is for building construction and ancillary works. It is estimated there will be a further £5,000 approximately to meet then. As I understand, it is not yet ready for checking, but it is expected that the equipment will be ready for flight checking and commissioning before the end of 1977.
Is it not a fact that there is some industrial dispute impeding the use of this? Whether it is between fitters, engineers, or certain bodies, its use is being impeded. Is this not a fact?
(Cavan): My information is that there were certain discussions between the staff but that any re-arrangement necessary has been agreed upon and that there are no existing difficulties. That is my understanding.
Is the Minister aware that pilots using Dublin Airport are very seriously concerned about the fact that they have to use visual aids at certain times because this system is not in use? They say so quite openly. Is the Minister aware of this?
(Cavan): I am not so aware and I am satisfied that, if there were any foundation for what the Deputy has said, the matter would have come to my knowledge very quickly and it is unfortunate that statements like that, which are not well founded, should be made in this House.
Regardless of——
A final question, Deputy.
——what the Minister says about the statement being unfortunate, I am only repeating what has been said to me by pilots and, if it is of any benefit to the Minister——
I am afraid we cannot have a debate at Question Time. A question, please, Deputy.
Since the situation seems to be a bit cloudy because of the long delay, is it not a fact that this equipment should have been working long before now in the interests of the safety of the public using the airport?
(Cavan): The Deputy will not, of course, overlook the fact that the contract was placed in 1969.
I am not overlooking it.
(Cavan): Furthermore, I am told there is a quite satisfactory—not quite satisfactory, but excellent—radar arrangement at Dublin Airport. I have not heard any of the complaints or the gossip referred to by Deputy Barrett and, if he has any such information, I would ask him to give it to me in the fullest possible detail.
Question No. 14.
I will certainly make my information available to the Minister. Finally——
Order. Question No. 14. I have given the Deputy quite sufficient latitude.
Is it not a fact this is the type of equipment in use at international airports at present?
(Cavan): I do not know if the Deputy appreciates it or not, but he refers in his question, first of all, to the ASR5 system. There is no such equipment known to me or to my advisers. There is an AR5. It is nothing unique. It is simply a system of long-range radar developed by one particular firm. There is at Dublin Airport at the moment quite satisfactory radar equipment and there is at Shannon Airport another system of long range radar developed by another firm.