Vol. 524 No. 2
184 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Defence the action he will take on foot of the report into the Dauphin helicopter accident on 2 July 1999 on the sand dunes in Tramore, County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22172/00]
The recent publication of the final report by the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise into the accident at Tramore, County Waterford, on 2 July 1999 in which four members of the Air Corps, Captain David O'Flaherty, Captain Michael Baker, Sergeant Paddy Mooney and Corporal Niall Byrne, were tragically killed, evoked many sad memories for the families of the victims, for the Defence Forces and for the public in general.
The purpose of the investigation was to determine the circumstances and cause, or causes, of the accident in order to prevent future such accidents.
The report, which is a very comprehensive and detailed document, has been examined in my Department. The safety recommendations set out in the report which call for action by the Department and the Defence Forces are being considered as a matter of priority with a view to their immediate implementation. In this regard, I have put procedures in place to monitor progress.
In addition to the aforementioned investigation, a military court of inquiry was convened following the accident to inquire into its circumstances. Its main thrust will be an examination of both the final report of the AAIU and the coroner's report. The work of the military court of inquiry will, therefore, now proceed following publication of the final report of the AAIU. The court of inquiry must also await the findings of the coroner's court.
