Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to be associated with Deputy Calleary's comments. Instinctively, my first contribution to the debate is to offer my condolences to the families of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciarán Smith for their bravery and unnecessary and tragic loss. I live at the mouth of the Malahide Estuary and from my window I can see as far as Skerries. In fact, on the horizon I can see the Mountains of Mourne and County Down, and almost every day I also see Rescue 116 because I live along the flight path the aircraft takes into and out of Dublin Airport. In the summer, it often operates on Malahide and Donabate beaches conducting training exercises, so it is a regular sight. When I do not see it, I often feel it because of the size of the aircraft involved and the speed at which it deploys to sea on rescue missions.

This disaster was a tragedy but it casts a dark shadow on us as a nation. While the report, rightly or wrongly, does not identify specific persons at fault, it finds fault collectively except, of course, on the part of the pilot and crew. It is, therefore, right to know what happened, which is why I welcome the report and the lengths to which the agency went to produce it, but it has been more than four and a half years since the aircraft went down in the Atlantic Ocean. We know the equipment on board Rescue 116 that was designed to aid navigation during night-time flights or in low-visibility scenarios did not show the island, leaving the crew without crucial information. We also know the communication between relevant authorities was not clear, and incorrect and incomplete information was conveyed, leading to the deployment of the aircraft. The tragedy underscores the importance of ensuring extensive mapping of the island and land mass is completed, and it is frankly inconceivable that to this day this has not been done. The crew itself also raised issues, as had prior crews, with lighting within the cockpit and the difficulties this caused. Indeed, as was raised by other Deputies, the fact the island had not been mapped was raised as far back as 2015.

We must ensure our emergency services have the equipment and the resources they require to conduct their operations safely. The voices from the coal face must be heard with regard to these safety challenges in order to move forward appropriately. For example, Ireland does not have primary radar; we are the only country in the EU that does not. It is an extremely important navigational aid for pilots but we do not have it. Our first responders play a vital role in society, selflessly serving the community, and this often means them putting themselves in dangerous scenarios and risking their lives. They do so in order that they can protect others. They are often overlooked in society and we must, therefore, remind ourselves of their value and the service with which they provide us.

The Minister concluded his remarks by stating we must learn lessons, and I would add we must do so quickly.

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