Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Under the Irish National Maritime Search and Rescue Framework, SAR framework, which was published in March 2010 by the then Minister for Transport, the Irish Coast Guard, as a division of the my Department, has responsibility for the co-ordination of maritime search and rescue, SAR, emergency response at sea and along the coasts and cliffs of Ireland, and on major inland lakes.

Under the framework, the safety regulation division of the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, has been assigned responsibility for the regulation and oversight of aircraft operations, including aeronautical search and rescue, within the State. In this context, the IAA issues a national SAR approval to CHCI DAC, that is the company, which is the operator contracted by the Irish Coast Guard to deliver this service. Through this practice, there is a system in place to validate the suitability of the CHCI SAR helicopters, crew, training and operational standards for SAR operations.

The IAA has legal responsibility for validating and approving aeronautical charts for publication, as defined by international standards agreed under the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The authority is a hugely respected organisation within international aviation, and it is subject to regular independent, outside audit.

The authority has advised me that there is no reason whatsoever for the Irish aviation community or emergency services to have any concerns about aeronautical maps and charts. All maps and charts produced meet the highest international standards.

I believe it is important to emphasise, and I know that the Deputy respects this from what he said in introducing his question, that there is an active investigation currently under way into the R116 accident off the Mayo coast which is being conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Unit, AAIU. The AAIU investigates on a wholly independent basis and is charged under domestic law and international obligations with examining all relevant issues it determines are pertinent to the incident it is investigating. While I understand the ongoing public interest in this matter, it is vital that the AAIU is given the time and space to do its work and report on its findings. As the investigation is still ongoing I can say no more about the issues surrounding it. Once the final report issues, all findings and recommendations will be pursued.

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