Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I apologise on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for defence, who cannot be here today, unfortunately.

As Deputy Ó Snodaigh indicated, the EAS based in Custume Barracks in Athlone is an important service provided by the Air Corps. Notwithstanding the well-documented ongoing human resources challenges in the Air Corps, particularly with the recruitment and retention of pilots, the EAS has been delivered without interruption since 2012, as Deputy Ó Snodaigh, in fairness, has acknowledged. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, has prioritised this service and will continue to do so in future.

The Minister of State received military advice that the Air Corps will not be in a position to accept EAS taskings from the National Ambulance Service for four days per month for a period of four months from November 2019 to February 2020. That is regrettable but necessary for safety and governance reasons. During this time there will be a training surge to produce a new cohort of aircraft commanders for the EAS, and this will ensure the long-term viability of the service provided by the Air Corps. The safety of serving personnel, HSE staff and patients is the shared number one priority and our whole focus is returning the EAS service to full capacity.

During the 16 days when the Air Corps will not accept taskings, the Irish Coast Guard will provide reserve cover for the National Ambulance Service. This is in line with the Government's decision in 2015 to establish the emergency aeromedical service. The Irish Community Rapid Response, ICRR, emergency medical service, which was mentioned by the Deputy, has agreed to provide additional cover using a second helicopter, which will be based at Roscommon University Hospital on the days when the Air Corps will not be in a position to accept taskings for the EAS. The ICRR will also continue to be available in the south of the country.

The whole focus is on returning the EAS to a full service and full capacity. A number of measures are being pursued, including the reintroduction of the service commitment scheme for pilots, the recommissioning of former Air Corps pilots and the training of junior pilots during that time. The emergency aeromedical service provided by the Air Corps has completed more than 2,600 missions since it commenced operations in 2012. On behalf of the Minister of State and the Government, I pay tribute to the professional and effective service provided by Air Corps personnel, as Deputy Ó Snodaigh did as well. I acknowledge the support of the Irish Coast Guard and the ICRR during this period. The shared priority is to provide the best available service using all available resources during the four days in each month when the Air Corps will not be available for EAS taskings. This interruption is regrettable but necessary, as I stated, from a safety and governance perspective. Everybody accepts it is correct if that is the advice that has been provided. The emergency aeromedical service operated by the Air Corps will continue and it is not being wound down. The service will continue to be provided by the Air Corps.

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