Vol. 521 No. 5
34 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Defence if he has received a draft report of the findings of the investigation into the cause of the crash of an Air Corps helicopter near Tramore, County Waterford, in July 1999 in which four personnel died; when he expects to receive the final report of the board of inquiry; the number of meetings which have taken place between the board of inquiry and the helicopter manufacturers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17652/00]
As I have previously stated in the House, following the accident at Tramore, County Waterford, on 2 July 1999 in which four members of the Air Corps were tragically killed, my colleague, the Minister for Public Enterprise, and I jointly directed that the accident be investigated under Statutory Instrument No. 205 of 1997, Air Navigation (Notification and Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 1997. Pursuant to this direction the investigation is being conducted by the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise. A senior Air Corps officer with appropriate training is acting as investigator-in- charge. He is being assisted by inspectors from the AAIU, Air Corps personnel and two experts from overseas, namely, a principal inspector from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the head of military psychology of the Swedish armed forces.
The purpose of this investigation, which is wide-ranging and complex, is to determine the circumstances and cause or causes of the accident to prevent future such accidents. All issues, including those raised by relatives concerning safety, are being encompassed by the investigation.
In accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned statutory instrument, I received, together with other relevant parties, including the families, a copy of the draft final report on 10 May 2000. The regulations prescribe that the contents of the draft report are to be treated as confidential pending completion of the final report after which it will be made public. Any safety measures proposed by the investigating team will be implemented as a matter of priority.
In the course of the air accident investigation unit's investigation, many meetings took place with interested parties, including at least three with the helicopter manufacturers, Eurocopter. These meetings were followed up by a considerable amount of correspondence.
In addition to the aforementioned investigation, a military court of inquiry has been convened to inquire into the circumstances of the accident. Its main thrust will be an examination of both the final report of the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise and the coroner's report. The work of the military court of inquiry, therefore, will proceed following publication of the final report of the air accident investigation unit. The court of inquiry must also await the coroner's court findings. I am informed that the coroner's court is adjourned until mid-July.
What are the Minister's views on an article that appeared in the Sunday Independent on 4 June giving a detailed breakdown of the draft report which raises major questions about this unfortunate and sad accident in Tramore? As the draft report was given to the families of the deceased, what contact has the Minister's Department had with those families in terms of the traumatic experience of receiving the report if, as quoted in the Sunday Independent article, so many things were wrong on the night of that tragic event?
I am very limited in what I can say about any of these matters until such time as we have the final report, which will be published. We have a draft report which, as I indicated, has been given to the families only and has to be treated as confidential. It would be fair to say, and Deputy Wall knows, that the Air Corps gives the utmost attention to regular maintenance and to making sure all the aircraft undergo the strictest certification to meet the requirement of the aviation industry. In terms of my own travels with the Air Corps, and my experience of them, I have to say, with some frustration at times, that they go to unearthly rounds to make sure everything is safe. I can say no more on that at present.
In relation to the highly sensitive information that was obviously leaked or obtained by Andrea Burke of the Sunday Independent, why can the Minister not comment on the draft report in the House, yet I can get a detailed breakdown of it in the Sunday Independent of 4 June? What is the position of the families as a result of this draft report? Were they given assistance to get over the traumatic experience of reading the report if, as determined in the Sunday Independent, it highlighted all those issues? How is it possible for this report to appear in detail in a newspaper, yet the Minister cannot come into the House and state there was a follow on by the PR section of his Department denying what appeared in the paper? What happened in relation to that? As I see it, what appeared in the paper was an accepted fact of the draft report, otherwise the Department would have contradicted what appeared in the paper.
If I, as Minister, were to engage in contradicting media reports which I know are off the wall, I could be at it every day. We are dealing with a very serious matter where I do not have the power, legally or otherwise, to debate a draft report, on which the families and others have an opportunity to make comments before we have a final report in our hands. These are extremely serious and sensitive matters. Many issues have to be considered and I am legally advised of the limits to which I can go at present. I can only assure the Deputy that when I have the final report, any action that is appropriate for me to take in any area will be taken.
