Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 1

Written Answers. - Garda Helicopter Operations.

Jim Higgins

Question:

210 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of journeys recorded for official Garda duties by the Garda helicopter for each month from 1998 and to date in 2000; the number of night and day flights; and the restrictions or curtailments, if any, in respect of night flying in any region of the country. [3619/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of journeys recorded for official Garda duties by the Garda helicopter for each month from 1998 to date in 2000 and the number of day and night flights for the same period is as follows.

Garda Helicopter Operations 1998

Month	No. of Day Flights	Day Flight Hours	No. of Night Flights	Night Flight Hours
January	23	18	23	24
February	65	35	57	35
March	78	55	47	33
April	66	42	24	13
May	84	61	28	18
June	81	50	26	14
July	63	46	21	13
August	94	68	27	22
September	79	57	26	17
October	57	56	29	19
November	69	64	47	32
December	52	37	37	24

Garda Helicopter Operations 1999

Month	No. of Day Flights	Day Flight Hours	No. of Night Flights	Night Flight Hours
January	43	26	40	25
February	34	23	27	16
March	78	66	42	27
April	86	59	29	16
May	112	74	28	17
June	93	68	21	13
July	104	67	25	18
August	36	19	7	5
September	77	57	21	11
October	70	49	41	22
November	51	31	41	24
December	69	49	55	42

Garda Helicopter Operations 2000

Month	No. of Day Flights	Day Flight Hours	No. of Night Flights	Night Flight Hours
January	52	36	65	34
February (to date)	15	10	10	6

On 11 May 1999, during an operation at night in the Clare-Galway region, the Garda air support unit helicopter inadvertently entered cloud. Contact was lost with the ground target, the mission was discontinued and the helicopter proceeded to Shannon Airport. The incident was the subject of an investigation carried out by the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise.

On 26 August 1999 the air accident investigator issued an interim safety recommendation that "the Air Corps should suspend GASU night operations in rural areas with immediate effect until an effective programme of extra night flying training is completed by GASU pilots". This recommendation was accepted and complied with.

The final report into the incident was published on 4 November 1999 and included this same safety recommendation. This report also included a number of other recommendations and these are currently being acted upon by officials from my Department and the Garda authorities, in conjunction with officials from the Department of Defence and the Air Corps. I am advised by the Garda authorities that there are no restrictions on night operations in the greater Dublin area, apart from those that apply – weather, visibility etc. – to all operations.