Vol. 526 No. 5
11 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the progress made to date in implementing recommendations for which his Department has responsibility of the final report of the air accident investigation unit into the crash of the Dauphin helicopter in Tramore, County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26927/00]
A thorough examination of the final report of the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Public Enterprise into accident DH 248/Rescue 111 Tramore, 2 July 1999 has taken place in my Department. The following is the response of my Department to the recommendations which relate specifically to it. It follows the numbering set out in the report.
Recommendation 4.14: my Department has in place training programmes for coastguard units in dealing with hazardous situations. This training is being upgraded in the case of incidents of serious aircraft accidents. On 14 October 2000 the chief fire officer at Shannon Airport delivered a lecture on the subject of downed aircraft search and rescue techniques at the coastguard area officers' annual conference in Limerick.
Recommendation 4.15: my Department accepts the need for formalising current relationships and such agreements will be put in place as soon as possible.
Recommendation 4.16: my Department in its contract relationships with private operators ensures appropriate agreements to its satisfaction are in place between service providers and airport authorities. The Department is not a party to relationships between the Air Corps and airport authorities.
Recommendation 4.21: my Department has an ongoing training and review programme in place which encompasses, inter alia, aviation requirements. However, a thorough review of aviation requirements will be instituted.
Recommendation 4.22: the maritime circumstances that gave rise to the rescue mission are well known and documented. Unfortunately, these types of circumstances are all too common despite continuing intensive media and publicity campaigns led by my Department assisted by the RNLI, Irish Water Safety, Civil Defence, CIL and sporting, fishing and various representative organisations. The chief marine surveyor has advised that a formal investigation is not required as all the details are available. The level of call-out to assist leisure craft in difficulty is more than 300 annually. A key aim of my Department is to bring about a fundamental change in safety culture.
Recommendation 4.25: my Department has to be satisfied when taking on private contractors that they will be fully capable and proficient in providing the required service from date of contract. The relationship with the Air Corps is not contractual in nature and proficiency of crews and assets is primarily a matter for the military authorities.
My Department is working closely with the Department of Defence to ensure immediate and sustained action on the implementation of recommendations made in the report.
Will all the recommendations made in the report be applied and, if so, when approximately might it be possible to implement them fully?
All the recommendations will be applied. It is our intention to implement them as quickly as possible.
Given the extent of the tragedy and the many questions raised I would have thought that the proper thing to do would be to conduct a formal investigation, a matter at which the Government should look very carefully.
The question of a formal investigation is not one for my Department. As I have just been briefed on the accident in south west Cork, I take the opportunity to sympathise with the fishing community concerned on the loss of the fishing vessel in question. There were four crew members on board. It is a terrible tragedy.
I wish to be associated with the Minister's remarks.
I also wish to be associated with them.
