Vol. 491 No. 7
1 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline the recent and current staff shortages and the demands of the east coast search and rescue service; the plans, if any, he has for the development of the service; the level of morale in the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13229/98]
The Irish Marine Emergency Service — IMES — of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has overall responsibility for the provision of a marine search and rescue service. At present search and rescue coverage on the east coast is provided by the Air Corps from Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, using an Alouette III helicopter and crew of three, for daylight search and rescue operations. The response time is 15 minutes from receipt of call. Since 22 December 1996, a Dauphin helicopter and crew of four based at Baldonnel has been committed to night search and rescue operations to cover the east coast. The response time from receipt of call is 45 minutes by night. There is, of course, also an Air Corps operated search and rescue service located at Finner Camp, County Donegal, on 24 hour call.
As part of an ongoing programme of development of search and rescue services, a civilian operated medium-load carrying search and rescue helicopter will be provided on the east coast with effect from 1 July 1998. It had been intended that the service would be crewed by Air Corps personnel and would operate from Casement Aerodrome once certain legal difficulties concerning the question of the basing of a civil operation at a military airbase had been resolved. This latter element is being pursued with the Department of Public Enterprise and the Irish Aviation Authority.
The recent high incidence of retirement of Air Corps flying officers has meant that the Air Corps is currently not in a position to provide pilots for the new east coast service. Provision is, however, being made in the contract for the provision of the civilian operated service for the introduction of Air Corps crew at a future date. It has been decided that the service will operate initially from Dublin airport with the option of relocating to Baldonnel at a future date.
In tandem with the commencement of the new service on the east coast with effect from 1 July 1998, the search and rescue service currently provided by the Air Corps at Baldonnel will be relocated to the south-east coast. This service, which will initially be restricted to daylight hours, utilising an Alouette helicopter, will be based in Waterford. It is intended to upgrade this service to a 24 hour one, using a Dauphin helicopter, at the earliest possible date.
With regard to the search and rescue service currently provided from Baldonnel, there has been no curtailment of service in recent times due to a lack of flying officers. However, due to unforeseen shortages of winch crew, caused by departures to civilian employment, illness and leave the east coast service was curtailed on eight occasions between 13 April and 24 April 1998. IMES was kept informed of the position at all times in order that cover might be provided from other sources such as the Shannon-based marine emergency helicopter service.
Because of the current upturn in the civil aviation industry and resulting attractive financial packages available, the number of Air Corps pilots seeking to retire has risen considerably in recent times and this impacted on the ability of the Air Corps to provide pilots for the new east coast service. As a result of prevailing market forces, I introduced last year a service commitment scheme for Air Corps pilots. This scheme, with the ongoing training of pilots and winch crews as well as the annual recruitment of Air Corps cadets is intended to ensure a continuing supply of well trained air crew for the Air Corps search and rescue service.
A review of the Air Corps was recently carried out by Price Waterhouse Management Consultants. Their report is at present being considered by the Efficiency Audit Group and it is expected that proposals will be brought to Government in the near future. It is not possible to say at this stage what impact the review will have on the staffing and funding of the Air Corps.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Will he outline what he envisages for the Air Corps in terms of providing an east coast search and rescue service? Has the Air Corps a role in that regard, particularly given that the tender has gone to a private company which will be located in Dublin airport? Will the Air Corps be in a position to take over this task in three years' time? I raise this matter because I am concerned about a number of developments which highlight the difficult position of the Air Corps. Why is the service, which operated for 30 years from Baldonnel, being transferred to Dublin airport?
There is a shortage of personnel, the service was curtailed on eight occasions and there are difficulties with security duty allowances paid to staff. In addition, the Government jet must use Dublin airport as opposed to Baldonnel because there are no crash rescue service personnel available there, particularly outside working hours, thus increasing the cost of that service — I understand it will cost about £2,000 extra every time the plane takes off and lands. In the context of those points, does the Minister see a future for the Air Corps or is he presiding over its decline?
I am not presiding over the decline of the Air Corps although, as the Deputy rightly points out, I face a number of difficulties. In the course of the three year period concluding in 1998, 30 of our best and most experienced pilots will have retired. Last year we found it necessary to introduce a service commitment scheme to see to what extent we could retain senior experienced people in the Air Corps to enable us to carry out all our functions and meet our obligations. Of the 26 people to whom this scheme was offered, 12 have remained in the service, some for a three year period and others for a five year period. That has helped greatly to consolidate our position.
I look forward to the day when the emergency service will be manned from Baldonnel by Air Corps crew. The service is being temporarily transferred to Dublin airport. There are about 84 pilots in the Air Corps at present and there are seven cadets who will qualify in June of this year. Ongoing recruitment will continue. If the picture were to remain as it is, with the civil aviation industry growing at a great rate and attractive packages for pilots, even with constant recruitment, there could be as many people leaving the service as coming in to be trained. There are difficulties which must be overcome.
