Written Answers. - Air Corps Facilities.
Derek McDowell
Question:
63
Mr. McDowell
asked the
Minister for Defence
if he will give details of the Departments which have free use of Air Corps facilities in relation to the year 1996 and to date in 1997; the notional cost per year of this provision and the make up of this cost.
[23097/97]
The Air Corps provides certain facilities and services to other Government Departments. These include ministerial air transport, air ambulance, search and rescue, fishery protection and Garda air support services. In addition aerial support for operations in aid of the civil power, including aerial surveillance of the Border area, is provided by the Air Corps. The provisions of these services does not involve an annual transfer of moneys between the Votes of the various Departments involved and the Vote for Defence.
The ministerial air transport service is provided by the Air Corps using a Gulfstream IV jet aircraft which is dedicated to this function. A Beech Super Kingair 200 turboprop aircraft is also made available from time to time mainly to a limited number of destinations in Europe. While Air Corps helicopters are not part of the ministerial air transport service they are occasionally used for the transport of Ministers.
Air ambulance missions are flown by the Air Corps by arrangement with the Department of Health and Children. These missions may be categorised as (i) inter-hospital transfers of patients at the request of ambulance controllers or hospital matrons, using helicopters, mainly Alouettes; (ii) transport of patients to hospitals in Great Britain for transplants of vital organs using the Beechcraft and; (iii) organ harvesting missions which involve transporting teams of specialist personnel to various hospitals in the State to remove vital organs from recently-deceased donors. Different aircraft types are used depending on the type of mission, numbers, etc. involved.
Search and rescue services are provided by the Air Corps to the Irish Marine Emergency Service of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources which has statutory responsibility for the provision of such services in the State. The following Air Corps resources are available for search and rescue purposes as part of the overall search and rescue arrangements:- An Alouette III helicopter and crew of three, located at Baldonnel for daylight search and rescue operations. In addition, a Dauphin helicopter and crew of four based at Baldonnel is committed to night search and rescue operations on the East Coast; a Dauphin helicopter and crew of four, is located at Finner Camp, County Donegal, on 24 hour call for search and rescue.
In addition to the foregoing and subject to operational commitments and serviceability, additional Air Corps helicopters and fixed wing aircraft may be available for search and rescue operations. In particular, two CASA Maritime Patrol Aircraft with their particular radar systems can support marine search and rescue operations when available. The Beechcraft aircraft can also be used, if available, in the transportation or logistics support role if the situation demands.
While the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has primary responsibility for fishery protection, the Naval Service has operational responsibility for carrying out sea fishery protection patrols. Naval Service fishery protection patrols are complemented by assistance provided by the Air Corps in the form of aerial surveillance by two CASA maritime patrol aircraft. In addition, inshore and estuarine fishery patrols are provided to the Central Fisheries Board using Cessna aircraft which are also used from time to time to conduct river and lake surveys at the request of the same agency.
Garda air support is provided using two aircraft, a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft, recently purchased by the Department of Justice which have been placed on the military register. The helicopter is an AS 355N Squirrel and the fixed wing aircraft is a PBN Defender 4000. Other Air Corps aircraft are also used to provide assistance to the civil authorities as required.
During the winter months in particular, the Air Corps provides relief services to islands cut off from the mainland by inclement weather. Relief has also been provided from time to time to farmers during bad weather by providing fodder drops to livestock.
In addition to the foregoing, storage space in an aircraft hangar at Gormanston is provided free of charge to the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise.
The cost of these services in any one year in respect of individual Government Departments can be calculated by reference to the direct cost per flying hour of the aircraft involved. These are the costs which are additional to those associated with having the aircraft and which only arise when the aircraft is flown. It is not possible, however, in the time available to calculate the various costs attributable to each Department in respect of the various facilities and services provided. The current estimated direct costs per flying hour of the aircraft in question are as follows:- Gulfstream IV — £1,320; Beech Super Kingair — £405; CASA — £550; Cessna — £100; Fouga — £500; Marchetti — £200; Dauphin — £1,200; Alouette — £400; Gazelle — £350. With regard to the recently acquired Garda support aircraft, the Defender 4000 and the Squirrel, these have not been in service long enough to compile sufficient statistical data to permit of the calculation of accurate flying hour costs.
