Written Answers. - Search and Rescue Service.
John Gormley
Question:
67
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Defence
the role his Department played in setting up the 24 hour Waterford search and rescue mission; the plans his Department has in place in the event of a helicopter crash; the reason no air traffic controller was present at Waterford Airport on the night of the Air Corps helicopter crash in Tramore which killed four personnel; if his Department will provide air traffic control support in future search and rescue missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[3390/01]
Following the loss of the FV Scarlettt Buccaneer at Howth Harbour in November 1995, the Minister for the Marine ordered a review of the adequacy of search and rescue coverage on the east coast. In June 1996, the final report of the east coast search and rescue review group was published. This review group was chaired by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and comprised, inter alia, representatives of the Department of Defence and the Air Corps.
The final report of the group set out a number of recommendations, including a recommendation that the east coast should have coverage by a 24 hour, multi-engined, medium load carrying marine emergency helicopter and that this helicopter should be based in Dublin. It was further recommended that once a medium load carrying marine emergency helicopter was available at Dublin, consideration could be given to redeploying the Air Corps Dauphin from Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, to another location which was to be determined in the course of a review of the availability and deployment of marine SAR facilities generally at that time.
The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources awarded a contract to Bond Helicopters on 14 November 1997 for the provision of an east coast SAR service with an expected commencement date of 1 July 1998. Parallel to this process work had been ongoing on identifying the alternative location for the Air Corps Dauphin and the Irish Marine Emergency Service – IMES – renamed the Irish Coast Guard, in consultation with the Air Corps, carried out an expert assessment of a number of locations in the south-south east region. On 4 December 1997, it was announced that the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources had selected Waterford as the appropriate location in the south-south east region. IMES had advised that the casualty potential and consequent assessment, based on analysis of incident statistics, weather, and air traffic control considerations, pointed to Waterford as the ideal SAR base on the south-south east coastline.
Following this decision, an Air Corps working group, chaired by the General Officer Commanding the Air Corps – GOC – and including a representative of the Department of Defence, was established in December 1997 to plan for the introduction of the service, initially by way of an Alouette helicopter during daylight hours only with the service to be upgraded to full 24 hours status using Dauphin craft as early as possible. The terms of reference required the group to establish the level of service which could be provided from Waterford with effect from 1 July 1998 and to identify the requirements in terms of manpower, facilities and equipment required to provide a dedicated 24 hour Dauphin service before 31 December 1998.
The working group reported on 20 January 1998 that Waterford Airport could provide ATC and crash rescue services outside published opening hours and that it would be necessary to enter into a detailed lease with the management in respect of areas of the airport to be used by the Air Corps for accommodation in the terminal building as well as hangarage. Pending the provision of living accommodation at the airport it was proposed that the crews be accommodated in Dunmore East, some ten minutes distance by road. The working group established that the SAR service using a daylight only Alouette helicopter could be provided from 1 July 1998. The report concluded that while the Air Corps was not in a position to provide a 24 hour Dauphin based service from 1 December 1998, such a service could be in position by 1 July 1999.
The SAR service, utilising an Alouette helicopter, commenced on 1 July 1998. Since the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has primary responsibility for SAR and since the Department of Defence-Defence Forces have no strategic requirement for a base at Waterford Airport, that Department undertook to arrange the provision of long-term infrastructural facilities, including crew accommodation and hangarage, with Waterford Airport management to facilitate the deployment of the Dauphin.
The provision of air traffic control and fire cover after published opening hours was the subject of ongoing discussion and correspondence between the Department of Defence and Waterford Airport management from June 1998. In this regard, the manager of Waterford Airport set out in a letter to the Department on 7 January 1999 that all conditions, with the exception of the rate of pay, in relation to the provision of after hours services had been agreed with his employees. It was stated that the employees had agreed to a roster that would provide a 45 minute standby cover for marine emergencies with a crew of three, one tower and two rescue crew, outside current published opening hours. The one out standing issue at that time was the rate of pay and the manager sought the advice of the Department in this respect in order that he might establish an appropriate rate. Ongoing contact ensued and on 25 June 1999, the Department of Finance sanctioned the public funding necessary to meet the call out allowance being sought by Waterford Airport. This approval was immediately relayed to the manager of Waterford Airport. On 30 June, when contacted by the Department, the manager indicated that, while staff negotiations had not yet been completed, he reiterated earlier assurances to the Department that after hours cover would in any case be provided by Waterford Airport with effect from 1 July 1999. With regard to the non-provision of these services on the night of the ill fated mission, I would refer the Deputy to the air accident investigation unit report on the accident where the matter is dealt with in some detail.
The air accident investigation report made a number of safety recommendations. Action is being taken to ensure the early implementation of those recommendations. In regard to the establishment of an air safety office within the Air Corps and the commissioning of an independent air operations safety audit of the Air Corps, the position is that an Air Corps officer of lieutenant colonel rank has been appointed by the GOC Air Corps to carry out the duties of air safety officer. The procedure for the selection of an appropriate agency to undertake an air operations safety audit of the Air Corps as recommended in the AAIU report is under way and it is expected that an appointment will be made at an early date.
With regard to the question raised by Deputy Gormley regarding the provision of air traffic control, such services normally include flight information, alerting service, air traffic advisory service, air traffic control service, approach control service and aerodrome control service.
All or some of the above services may be provided at an aerodrome, but it is dependent upon the level of use of the airport and the complexity and nature of the flights operating into and from it. With regard to specific locations from which the Air Corps operates the position is as follows. Twenty-four hour ATC cover is available at Baldonnel. This cover is necessary due to its proximity to the Dublin Airport flight paths. There is no ATC in Finner Camp, County Donegal, due to it not being within the immediate area of a major airport. However, flight information services are provided on a 24 basis from Finner Camp to the pilots and the ATC and Met Éireann at Shannon are accessed for weather information/traffic control as required. The Air Corps Dauphin helicopter SAR service has been temporarily relocated to Sligo Airport from Finner Camp since 9 January 2001, pending the establishment of a crash rescue service at Finner Camp. Sligo Airport has ATC and a crash rescue service in line with the requirements of the Irish Aviation Authority. SAR operations from Waterford Airport are daylight hours only and ATC services are available.
