Mr. Eugene Clonan:

Regrettably, the time has been far longer than originally anticipated but benefits are being realised. There is NVIS approval for commercial air transport. We provide operational assistance to the National Ambulance Service under commercial air transport and we do SAR under SAR rules. With commercial air transport there, the EASA sets out rules for NVIS and that is straightforward. CHC received approval for training from the IAA. As a result, the first base is up and running in Sligo. Personnel at the remaining bases are still in training. To get to the next step, which is SAR approval, CHC needs approval under manuals and training schedules. When it gets that approval the IAA will go out and inspect the bases, the flying that is conducted and the trainers. It is quite an involved process and this is the first time a commercial operator has applied for NVIS training in Ireland so it is difficult. The Deputy can rest assured that we are maintaining the pressure on CHC, that CHC and the IAA are working together and that we are moving in the right direction, to the extent that we hope to have the last base up and running for both commercial air transport and SAR-NVIS by December 2022, providing we get the approvals from the IAA.