Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Once I had sight of that memo, I told the Department and Defence Forces personnel within the Air Corps to sit down and look at exactly what services were under pressure. We were told about ATCs and I have people training in air traffic control at this moment in time. We have the highest number of cadet pilots going through the cadetship programme at this moment in time. I have increased that in 2017. We are at capacity in cadet training in the Air Corps and it will be the same in 2018 to ensure we train the full complement of pilots we can provide. I am also looking at direct entry and re-entry. These are issues one cannot fix overnight. One cannot just pick a pilot off the shelf and put him or her flying such and such a plane or helicopter. One cannot pick an air traffic controller off the shelf. These people have to undergo specific training. I am the first to admit we have challenges. However, inter-hospital transfer and top cover are the subject of service-level agreements between the HSE and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on an availability basis only. That has always been the case within the Air Corps.

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