Vol. 388 No. 1
asked the Minister for the Marine, in view of the fact that Ireland has the most dangerous coastline in the EC and a history of offshore tragedies which involve international as well as national vessels, if he has examined the possibility of securing international financial aid to establish an air/sea rescue service, with a base off the west coast of Ireland which would be served by Irish personnel.
11.
asked the Minister for the Marine if, following a number of serious accidents and loss of life off the coast of Ireland in January 1989, he accepts the need to overhaul the air/sea search and rescue service; and when he proposes to do so.
12.
asked the Minister for the Marine if any consideration has been given by the Government to having air/sea rescue services on the western seaboard provided on a contract basis by qualified companies; if any discussions or negotiations have taken place with such companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
16.
asked the Minister for the Marine the reason for the delay in deciding on the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Marine Search and Rescue Services as referred to in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 38 on 29 November 1988.
24.
asked the Minister for the Marine the names of the members of the recently established international committee to investigate the search and rescue services; the terms of reference of the said committee; and when they will produce a report.
27.
asked the Minister for the Marine if he has any plans to review the adequacy of the rescue service for the west coast in light of a number of accidents in the past month involving vessels and airplanes; if he has any plans to improve the communications equipment at the Marine Co-ordination Centre at Shannon, County Clare; if he will reconsider the question of stationing a rescue helicopter in the west; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 11, 12, 16, 24 and 27 together.
The interdepartmental committee on the deployment of search and rescue helicopters was established in June 1988 to consider the implications of and to make recommendations as regards the deployment of search and rescue helicopters. Their report, which was presented to the Minister for Defence and myself in October 1988, put forward a number of options for improving search and rescue helicopter coverage within our area of responsibility. The interdepartmental committee had taken into consideration the relevant recommendations made in the report of the west coast search and rescue action committee, presented to the Minister and me in September 1988. The question of helicopter coverage was also considered by the Irish Marine Search and Rescue Committee who advise the Minister on a continuing basis in relation to search and rescue matters.
With the advice of all relevant interests secured it became clear that the deployment of search and rescue helicopters. could not be considered in isolation from the overall strategy for dealing with distress incidents within our region of responsibility and should take account of facilities provided by the various search and rescue agencies. In this regard our search and rescue system has undergone considerable change in recent years. The rejuvenation of the marine radio communications programme has expanded our VHF network considerably and its completion is expected before the end of the year. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution carried out a review of their services late last year as a result of which some restructuring of their operations is taking place. The Institution have already re-equipped some of their stations with modern craft and recently announced plans to establish a new main station at Ballyglass, County Mayo. My Department's coast life-saving service, the Valentia unit of which operated so effectively during the recent incident involving the motor fishing vessel Big Cat has also been progressively modernised in recent years and further improvements will take place in the near future. The airstrip at Finner, County Donegal will have its navigation equipment upgraded to permit night operation of search and rescue helicopters there.
So far as the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre is concerned, both high frequency and very high frequency aviation communications equipment have been made available to the MRCC thus effecting a direct communications link between the centre and rescue aircraft and helicopters. This equipment worked extremely well during the course of recent incidents. A direct and dedicated data communications link between the MRCC and the coast radio stations at Malin and Valentia has been ordered. These initiatives form part of a programme aimed at providing a more efficient information network between State search and rescue agencies.
The Government considered, therefore, in view of the changing capabilities of our search and rescue services and the considerable upgrading and modernisation of the facilities provided by each component organisation in that system, that an in-depth review of our search and rescue arrangements was required and they have now established a review group on air sea rescue services. The group members are: Mr. Eamon J. Doherty, Former Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, Chairman; Mr. T. M. Boyd, Chief Executive, Commissioners of Irish Lights; Mr. Francois Benda, European Commission; Col. Patrick A. Cranfield, Group Commander, Air Corps, Baldonnel; Mr. Gerry Hickey, Principal, Department of Finance; Cdr. John Kavanagh, O/C LE Eithne, Naval Service; Mr. Patrick Keating, Deputy Director, Aviation and Marine Communications Service; Mr. Clayton Love, Vice-President, Royal National Lifeboat Institution; Captain James L. McDonald, Coastguard Attache, United States Embassy, London, Ms. Deirdre O'Connor, Principal, Maritime Safety Division, Department of the Marine, Mr. Dick Richards, Ex-Regional Controller, HM Coastguard, Swansea and Mr. Niall McCutcheon, Assistant Principal in my Department, who will act as secretary to that committee.
The review group have been asked to examine the structure and the operation of the air sea rescue services and to make recommendations to ensure a cost effective and efficient service to meet national and international requirements and to report at the earliest possible date. While it will be a matter for the group I expect that the group will examine the operations and capabilities of each of the component organisations in the system, including the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the Air Corps, the Coast Life-Saving Service, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the coast radio stations and recommend any possible improvements. I do not wish to tie the group to a precise date for submission of a report but I am confident that the matter will be examined with maximum speed.
To date both current and capital expenditure relating to the State's search and rescue services has been funded by the Exchequer. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, as an independent and voluntary body, finance the purchase and operation of their lifeboats from voluntary contributions although my Department make an annual grant of £100,000 to the institution. The possibility of securing European Community aid has been examined in the past but national search and rescue activities are effectively excluded from such funding. The Government's aim is to arrange for the provision of the best safety services possible within the resources available to them. Any adjustments which are under consideration will be determined primarily by the overall implications for safety around our coasts and within the country, and the Government intend to be guided by the advice which will emanate from the review group on air-sea rescue services.
The provision of air-sea rescue services on a contract basis by private companies is a feature of search and rescue facilities in some other countries. The review group on air-sea rescue services will, no doubt, consider that option in the course of their deliberations.
My Department received an unsolicited offer from a helicopter company to provide such a service. Their offer has been discussed with officials of my Department but no commitment has been given to contract such a service from them or from any company.
Will the Minister clarify if he is seeking international funding and not just EC funding having regard to the fact that the majority of accidents that occur relate to nationalities other than EC nationalities? Of the 23 tragedies that occurred since the beginning of this year, only four vessels were from EC countries. Would the Minister agree that he has a strong case to seek international funding to help us to set up an adequate sea and air rescue service on the west coast? Will the Minister also let me know if the review committee to which he referred have met? If not, when is it intended that they will meet and has a deadline been put on their deliberations so that something urgent will be done?
I am sorry to interrupt the Deputy and the House but the time allowed for Priority Questions is very much exhausted. Perhaps the Minister of State might wish to make a brief reply, but I then want to go on to ordinary questions.
The committee as yet have not met but the Minister and I have met their chairman. As it is an international committee there will be some difficulty in summoning all the members but I expect that the chairman will arrange a meeting of the committee shortly after Easter. We certainly will look at all sources from which finance may be available. We all appreciate that search and rescue knows no boundaries. It is erroneous to suggest that every country should have available to it of itself sufficient search and rescue services. We have proven ourselves in incidents such as that relating to the Yarrawonga which was well outside of our control. This ship on its way to the US turned on its way back to Europe when it found itself in difficulties. The MRCC, Valentia and Malin Head, played a vital role together with the naval services and others and we ensured that a tow line was thrown aboard the vessel. We played a vital role there, but I appreciate the point made by Deputy Pattison that we should look at all sources of revenue. It would be ideal if a rescue base under the control of the Irish Government was set up in Ireland for all countries using the North Atlantic. That would be an ideal situation but we are living in the real world. I hope the committee who will sit shortly after Easter will report to us at the earliest possible date and make recommendations to Government.
We will go on to ordinary Question No. 9 now.
