Vol. 402 No. 5
45 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for the Marine if he will outline the progress on the establishment of the new Irish Marine Emergency Service as announced recently by him; whether this service will be fully operational by winter 1991, including the provision of a medium range SAR helicopter to be based at Shannon and the Dauphin being transferred to Finner, County Donegal; and if he will give the dates for the completion of each stage of its establishment.
The Government decided on 2 August 1990 to implement the main recommendations of the report of the review group on air/sea rescue services, including: (i) the establishment under a director directly answerable to the Minister for the Marine of a new division in the Department of the Marine to assume responsibility for maritime safety, shipwreck and sea and coastal pollution; (ii) the transfer from the Department of Tourism and Transport to the Department of the Marine of the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), the coast radio service, marine radio-engineers and marine radio surveyors and their incorporation in the new division; (iii) the appointment of a director of the new division; (iv) the supply on contract of a medium range helicopter service to be located at Shannon and to be placed under the control of the new division; (v) the relocation of the Dauphin helicopter service currently provided by the Air Corps at Shannon to Finner, County Donegal on a 24 hour basis throughout the year once the contract helicopter service has been put in place at Shannon; and (vi) the deployment of a second Dauphin helicopter at Cork as soon as practicable primarily for operation with the LE Eithne but to be located at Cork when not embarked on the ship.
My Department invited tenders for the supply of a search and rescue helicopter service to be based at Shannon Airport. The closing date for the receipt of tenders was 23 October 1990. The contract specification required that the helicopter service be in place by 1 January 1991. I have established a helicopter contract group chaired by the Secretary of my Department to examine the tenders received and to advise me on the placing of the contract.
I expect the group to report on these complex tenders soon.
The establishment of the new division is primarily an integration and reorganisation of existing services. The co-ordination of local marine emergencies will be devolved to rescue sub-centres at the coast radio stations at Valentia and Malin Head coast radio stations and at a new sub-centre to be established in Dublin. This new regional structure will enable more local knowledge to be brought to bear on emergencies, the integration of marine communications and co-ordination facilities and the devotion of much larger personnel resources to emergency response.
My Department have also identified the equipment requirements for the new structure.
This and the other personnel aspects are being pursued with the Department of Finance.
