Vol. 515 No. 6
23 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress, if any, made with regard to ensuring the availability of the Garda helicopter for night flights in all parts of the country, having regard to the decision to restrict flights following an incident in May 1999 when the helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6854/00]
On 11 May 1999, during an operation at night in the Clare-Galway region, the Garda Air Support Unit helicopter inadvertently entered cloud. Contact was lost with the ground target, the mission was discontinued and the helicopter proceeded to Shannon airport. The helicopter was not forced to make an emergency landing.
The incident was the subject of an investigation carried out by the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise. A report was subsequently published and this included a number of recommendations – including that "The Air Corps should suspend GASU night operations in rural areas with immediate effect until an effective programme of extra night flying is completed by GASU pilots". This recommendation was accepted and is being acted upon.
The question of the allocation of pilots, their experience levels and their training programmes is, in the first instance, a matter for the Air Corps and the Minister for Defence. Nevertheless, I obviously have a keen interest in the context of its effect on GASU operations.
Officials from my Department and the Garda authorities – in conjunction with officials from the Department of Defence and the Air Corps – have been actively pursuing the issues raised in the report.
Pursuant to this, the Minister for Defence announced on 25 February 2000 that a Squirrel helicopter is to be acquired for the Air Corps as soon as possible for the purpose of pilot training in connection with the operation of the GASU. This will allow the training recommendations in the report to be addressed.
