Vol. 494 No. 3
6 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Defence the investigation that has been held into the accident at Dublin Port during the Tall Ships Race in which nine Naval Service divers were injured; the outcome of the investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17821/98]
On 24 August 1998 during the Tall Ships Race in Dublin Port an accident occurred which resulted in a number of Naval Service divers being injured while engaged in a display involving a civilian owned helicopter. I am pleased to report that seven of the nine personnel involved made a full recovery. The other two remain on sick leave and I am sure the House will join me in wishing them a speedy recovery.
Following the accident the Naval Service instigated an investigation which is ongoing. An investigation is also being undertaken by the Department of Public Enterprise as this is essentially an aviation accident. The Naval Service is not in a position to finalise its investigation until the outcome of the one being carried out by the Department of Public Enterprise is known.
Why is it taking so long to conclude a report which one would imagine is a simple matter? According to press reports the Garda has a video of the incident. The helicopters owners indicated, according to press reports and a statement issued by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, that the exercise was carried out in accordance with agreed procedures. Why is the report not yet available? Does the Minister intend to publish it? Does he feel, given the status of the report to date, it will have any impact on how air-sea rescue practices are pursued?
I share the Deputy's concern that sometimes these investigations take longer than those of us who are not involved in these technical areas envisage. However, I have no control over the time it takes. There are two investigations, the primary one on the technical side being conducted by the Department of Public Enterprise. I will have no hesitation publishing the report when it becomes available.
This accident involved divers and a civilian helicopter. However, whatever changes are necessary will be put in place immediately which ensure greater safety. I must await the report and I have no control over when it will be ready.
Nine officers were injured in this exercise. If there are deficiencies in how air-sea rescue procedures are followed, is it not a matter of urgency that this report be available quickly? What happens if there is an urgent need for an air-sea rescue operation and similar conditions apply?
As the Deputy is probably aware, the strictures and regulations governing these matters are well advanced and safe. All the information we have in this and other areas is gathered to the highest standards. However, accidents occur and when they do we need to investigate them properly. I agree with the Deputy and wish I had the report but a Minister cannot pressurise any group to try and finalise reports before it is ready to do so. It may be that it is encountering difficulties in finding out exactly what caused the accident and it may take a little longer. I need to wait for the results and make whatever changes are recommended in the report based on what took place rather than ensuring the report is produced quickly. I want the exact position.
Will the Minister review the way in which investigations are carried out in his Department? Over the past year there has been a series of incidents where Members have asked for information and on each occasion he said he would come back and give us the report of the investigation, that reports were not ready. Will he try and establish a timetable for investigations? I share Deputy De Rossa's worry that lessons may not be learnt and valuable lessons may be missed if the investigations take up to one year to conduct.
The closer reports are to events, the better they are. I undertake to see if there is anything I can do to accelerate that process. It should be borne in mind that there are technical considerations and sometimes there is scant evidence upon which specialised people can make decisions. I do not want to make any unwarranted intervention but I will seek an improvement in terms of time.
