John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I will share time with my colleague from County Waterford, Deputy Brendan Kenneally.

For many years, people from across the political divide fought to secure a 24 hour helicopter rescue service for Waterford. Having secured the service in 2004, it is daft that in 2010 we are informed it will be reduced to a 12 hour service. We have had discussions with officials from the Department on the matter. When I met the Minister for Transport this evening on a walk through the House, I informed him, as a Fianna Fáil Party Deputy and chairman of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party, that it is unacceptable to Deputies from the south east that this service will be reduced for the sake of achieving savings of €1 million per annum.

In recent days, the Department informed us that the budget for the emergency rescue service has been increased from €27 million to €52 million. Despite this increase, people in the south east will suffer because of a shortfall of €1 million. We are talking about Arklow, Rosslare Europort, major fishing ports, Belmont Harbour and right into Cork, involving probably 1 million people along the coastline. Only a small amount of money is involved but it is very important to the people of the south east that this service is restored.

I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Andrews, as a Fianna Fáil Deputy, to bring the message loud and clear to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, and to the Taoiseach, that we want a 24 hour service from 2013, the same as exists at present. Nothing else is acceptable. We are entitled to the same service for our people on the south-east coastline as that enjoyed by the people in the west, the south and Dublin. It is not good enough to say that a helicopter will arrive only nine minutes later because now they are faster, better and more modern, with paramedics on board and all of that. If a person is in the water, nine minutes is a long time. This situation should not have to be accepted. A huge amount of money is being spent in the Department of Transport. The sum of €1 million per year is a mere pittance and I ask the Minister to reverse this decision. More important, I ask the Taoiseach to ensure at the next Cabinet meeting, in the ten days before the contract is signed, that we will have our 24 hour service returned.

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