Written Answers. - Air Accident Investigations.
Jack Wall
Question:
43
Mr. Wall
asked the
Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources
the progress made to date in implementing recommendations, for which his Department has responsibility, of the final report of the air accident investigation unit into the crash of the Dauphin Helicopter at Tramore, County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3352/01]
A thorough examination of the final report of the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise into Accident DH 248/Rescue 111 Tramore, 2 July 1999 has taken place in my Department. The following is the response of my Department to the Recommendations which relate specifically to the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources (detailed in Appendix 1). It follows the numbering set out in the report:
Recommendation 4.14. My Department has in place training programmes for Coast Guard Units in dealing with hazardous situations. This training is being upgraded in the case of incidents of serious aircraft accidents. On 14 October 2000, the chief fire officer at Shannon Airport delivered a lecture on the subject of downed aircraft search and rescue techniques at the Coast Guard Area Officers' Annual Conference in Limerick.
Recommendation 4.15. My Department accepts the need for formalising current relationships and such agreements will be put in place as soon as possible.
Recommendation 4.16. My Department in its contract relationships with private operators ensures that appropriate agreements to the Department's satisfaction are in place between service providers and airport authorities. It should be noted that the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources is not a party to relationships between the Air Corps and airport authorities.
Recommendation 4.21. My Department has an ongoing training and review programme in place which encompasses,inter alia, aviation awareness. At the recent three weeks search and rescue mission co-ordinator's course attended by six staff a two day aviation awareness module was introduced.
Recommendation 4.22. The maritime circumstances that gave rise to the rescue mission are well known and documented. Unfortunately these type of circumstances are all too common despite continuing intensive media and publicity campaigns led by my Department assisted by the RNLI, Irish Water Safety, the Civil Defence, CIL and sporting, fishing and various representative organisations. The chief marine surveyor has advised that a formal investigation is not required as all the details are already available. The level of call out to assist leisure craft in difficulty is more than 300 annually. A key aim of my Department is to bring about a fundamental change in safety culture.
In August 1999, an action group was established to review the use of small powered recreational craft, including personal watercraft, and to recommend a best practice model for local and national management of personal watercraft and fast power craft in Ireland. The terms of reference of the group foresaw the submission of an interim report by November and a final report in early 2000. The interim report was delivered in November 1999, with the final report in March 2000. These reports made recommendations on the form of framework legislation required to regulate the sector. On foot of this, the framework legislation was included as an amendment to the Merchant Shipping Act, 1992, as part of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000, which was enacted on 27 June 2000.
This legislation empowers me to provide for the enactment by local authorities and other bodies with jurisdiction over water bodies of by-laws to control the use of recreational craft in areas under their jurisdiction and also to make regulations on national provisions governing the safe use of such craft which will include regulations on age restrictions, the carriage and use of safety equipment and the consumption of alcohol and drugs. Draft regulations on these matters are currently being discussed with the parliamentary counsel to the Government. On 28 January last I announced that I intend to put in place new legislation which will see the introduction of mandatory safety training for fishermen in Ireland. This initiative will also include new statutory measures requiring fishermen to wear suitable personal flotation devices. I have asked my Department and BIM to liaise with the fishing industry with a view to finalising the detailed provisions for the proposed mandatory requirements with a view to their introduction as early as practicable.
Recommendation 4.25. My Department has to be satisfied when taking on private contractors that they will be fully capable and proficient in providing the required service from date of contract. The relationship with the Air Corps is not a contractual one and proficiency of crews and assets is primarily for the military authorities.
My Department is working closely with the Department of Defence to ensure immediate and sustained action on the implementation of recommendations made in the report. A joint group of the two Departments has been set up to examine the recommendations of the report as a mater of urgency. A second working group of my Department and the Department of Defence has been set up on the subject of dedicated helicopter search and rescue assets. This group will, in tandem with the current tender competition for the supply of medium lift helicopters to the Air Corps, determine the overall helicopter resources required (civil and military) and the optimum deployment of same to cover the Irish search and rescue region. It will identify and make recommendations on the specific Air Corps resources which will have to be committed and deployed to meet those requirements. It will also consider all options, lease, extension of current contracts etc., for the provision of interim solutions for the overall requirements taking into account the lead time for the delivery of new medium lift helicopters to the Air Corps. My Department is involved in on-going discussions with the Department of Defence about the urgent replacement of the Alouette.
