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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 26 Feb 1970

Vol. 244 No. 11

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sea Rescue Work.

135.

andMr. Begley asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider having at least one helicopter based at Shannon for sea rescue work on the south-west coastal area.

When the existing three Air Corps helicopters were acquired it was decided that they should be based at Aeradrom Mhic Easmuinn, Baldonnel. Experience has shown that in order to ensure that one helicopter is continuously available for air/sea rescue work and other emergencies it is necessary to have the present resources of helicopters and crews centralised at one location. It would not, therefore, be feasible to station one of the existing three helicopters at another centre.

Surely then there should be an increase in the number of helicopters, bearing in mind the recent rescue off the west coast and the fact that they can rescue people perhaps even more efficiently than lifeboats?

One can make a case for more helicopters without any difficulty at all but the real difficulty in establishing a second helicopter base is that you must have all kinds of base installations and they are extremely costly. It is far more economic to have one helicopter base.

Surely we have these facilities at Shannon Airport?

I doubt it. The type of facilities that would be required for a second base would be a store of spare parts and a second team of specialist fitters and mechanics—that type of establishment. I doubt if we would have the degree of specialisation needed in a second base. We could get it all right but it would be extremely expensive and of rather debatable value unless we had a very great expansion of our helicopter fleet.

May we take it then that the Minister will give consideration to the purchase of an extra helicopter?

The Minister is completely aware of the fact that six helicopters are probably more than twice as good as three helicopters.

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