Tony Killeen
Question:268 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for the Marine the current position regarding the Shannon-based air sea rescue service. [6289/97]
Written Answers. - Air Sea Rescue Service.
I announced on 2 August 1996 that the Government had approved the award of a contract to Bond Helicopters (Ireland) Ltd., for the provision of a marine emergency helicopter including search and rescure based at Shannon airport. The contract commenced on 1 January 1997, on the expiry of the previous contract with Irish Helicopters Ltd., and is for a minimum period of two and a half years with an option to extend for up to five years.
Bond advised my Department on 20 February 1997, in accordance with their contractual obligations, that the fully compliant helicopter with auto-hover, which was to be delivered to Shannon by 28 February 1997, was now expected to be in service by the mid to end of March 1997. The delay in the delivery of this helicopter arose from an electrical design fault identified during a recently completed independent quality check. Adverse weather conditions have also hampered flight testing. The fault has since been remedied and flight testing has resumed. The Bond helicopter development programme, which commenced after the contract award in August 1996 and has been the subject of close monitoring and regular review by the Department, was fully on schedule up to this recent development.
A fully serviceable marine emergency helicopter is already in permanent operation by Bond from Shannon. This helicopter has been providing marine emergency response since 1 January 1997 and has carried out nine successful rescue missions to date. It has rescued or assisted 19 people including the rescue in extreme weather conditions of 13 fishermen from a fishing vessel, which caught fire at a location 150 miles off the coast of Galway, on 1 March 1997. It has all the features of a fully compliant helicopter, with the exception of an auto-hover system. Bond have made available, with effect from 1 March 1997, a second helicopter to improve the capabilities of the existing helicopter at night time and in bad weather conditions. Crews and specialist lighting devices have been provided to support the operation of two helicopters on a rescue mission.
My Department will continue to monitor developments very closely and will review all matters relating to the service, including contractual obligations, on a week to week basis.