Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The emergency aeromedical service, EAS, is an air ambulance service that helicopters from the Air Corps have been providing since 2012. We heard only this week that the service is being curtailed for safety reasons, which we acknowledge. It is being curtailed because of a failure by the Government to address a resourcing issue, as the most valuable resource in the Defence Forces and Air Corps is its personnel. The fact that the personnel have not been there for a period and are not likely to be there in future concerns me. In press releases this week, the Department has stated the service has been curtailed by four days each month until February next year, but no guarantee has been offered by the Department, military authorities or the Minister - the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar - that the crisis in manning levels for the Air Corps is at an end.

The Taoiseach stated that this position was "not ideal", and this is the understatement of the year. This is a service that provides for those who are critically ill in the main, accident victims or medical emergency cases that may be transferred to a hospital for appropriate care. It is used daily, such is the success of the service to date. We should praise the charity that is stepping into the breach to save the blushes of the State. It is great that the Irish Community Rapid Response organisation has the expertise and facilities to step in and deliver the service or at least cover the service for those days that the Air Corps cannot do it.

It is a sad state of affairs that we have reached a point where the Defence Forces must be backed up by a charity. This comes after many years of representative organisations for the Defence Forces and Members in this House, including me, continually raising the issue of the failure of the Government to address the retention problem in the Defence Forces and Air Corps in particular. Specialist personnel are required. These are not just pilots but also back-up and maintenance crews. Currently there are only three full crews available for the service despite the fact that there is a need for ten crews.

I hope the Minister of State will be able to reassure me in his comments that come the end of February next year, we will have ten full crews in place. I do not believe it will happen but it is what we have been told. The statement indicates that this curtailment will only last for a number of months.

We acknowledge the energy and enthusiasm of the men and women in the Air Corps and their ability thus far, despite reduced numbers, to deliver a service. It has got to the stage now where they cannot deliver this because it would put their lives at risk or the lives of those at risk they are sent to help. I hope the Minister of State can reassure us on this.

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