Dáil debates

Wednesday, 17 November 2021

Air Accident Investigation Unit Final Report into R116 air accident: Statements

 

7:32 pm

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The R116 accident was a tragedy that claimed the lives of four crew who dedicated their lives to saving others. I express my sympathies to the families and loved ones of pilot Dara Fitzpatrick, co-pilot Mark Duffy, winchman Ciarán Smyth and winch operator Paul Ormsby. I thank Members for their contributions. It is clear that we all share a common goal of seeking to prevent similar accidents occurring in the future.

I thank the chief inspector of the Air Accident Investigation Unit and his team for completing such a comprehensive report. The work they have done will greatly enhance the safety of search and rescue aviation operations in Ireland and internationally. I reiterate that I fully accept the recommendations addressed to me contained in the report. It is a large and complex report and deserves to be given due consideration. This my Department and I will do.

My Department fully accepts all recommendations from the AAIU report. I will ensure that recommendations addressed to the Minister are implemented. The provision of an effective maritime search and rescue service is critical to Ireland as an island nation with a strong maritime sector. The sector depends on the reliability and professionalism of the Irish Coast Guard and all its component parts, including the Cost Guard Aviation Service, to offer a service which can deploy at a moment's notice to rescue people in distress and bring them to a place of safety.

The national search and rescue, SAR, plan is the key means by which we implement search and rescue policy in Ireland. The new national SAR plan is the baseline reference document for use by all search and rescue organisations in Ireland, and promulgates the agreed method of co-ordination through which search and rescue operations are conducted in Ireland's search and rescue region. The new national SAR committee, the national SAR consultative committee and the other structures, such as the SAR health and safety forum, provide a good framework to progress the co-ordination of the implementation of safety recommendations across all relevant bodies.

The IAA has reviewed and fully accepts the recommendations addressed to it as the national aviation regulator, many of which have already been implemented or are proceeding to full implementation. The IAA will respond independently to the findings addressed to it. More broadly, in the overall context of improving safety in search and rescue operations, my officials have been engaging with the safety regulation division, SRD, of the IAA and the regulator himself. A team of technical experts within the safety regulation division is examining in detail the report, each finding and each safety recommendation. The IAA will use its regulatory oversight role to examine the implementation of the wider recommendations and provide any necessary support. The IAA will also continue to work with the European Commission and the EU Aviation Safety Agency in the development of safety rules.

The Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020 provides legislation underpinning an even more enhanced role for the IAA in terms of the oversight of Coast Guard aviation activities generally.

The new provisions provide clarity and strengthen to the regulatory framework by ensuring the IAA, in making regulations that apply to the Coast Guard, takes into consideration the public benefit of the activities of the Coast Guard, which are very different in nature from commercial air transport activities, and consults with the Coast Guard as is good practice. The provisions further provide that in making regulations the IAA must align them with certain elements of European aviation safety regulations that are appropriate and relevant to Coast Guard aviation activities. In conjunction with the provisions in the Air Navigation and Transport Bill, secondary legislation is being prepared by the IAA to provide further operational clarity to operators of search and rescue. The IAA has developed a revised set of regulations and detailed rules specific to search and rescue that are being considered by the Department and the Coast Guard. The Irish national search and rescue rules are being developed to assist operational search and rescue stakeholders in determining the appropriate procedures and operations manual guidance to operate civil search and rescue helicopters in Ireland.

With regard to the Department's oversight of the IAA's role in regulating search and rescue and other aviation activities, the Department engages aviation expertise for periodic oversight audits as required by national legislation. The Coast Guard has been operating and delivering an aviation search and rescue service for the past 30 years through a mix of private contractors and military. The Coast Guard carries out regular audits of the aviation service provider to ensure compliance with the contractual arrangements. The Coast Guard has in place a contract for the provision of helicopter aviation consultancy services. In addition to this, the Department has approved an aviation manager post in the Coast Guard. The successful candidate will have the requisite aviation knowledge, skills and experience and will manage the aviation contract and related operational and safety issues. The Department and Coast Guard are examining options to increase its in-house expertise on foot of the air accident investigation unit's recommendations.

Recognising the detailed complex and interconnected findings, conclusions and safety recommendations contained in the report, I encourage Members to go to the report as the definitive source of information as to what contributed to the accident. It is unhelpful for findings to be inferred from the report that are not the findings of the investigation. I have listened very carefully to suggestions offered by Members on how we can further improve search and rescue operations. While a detailed programme of change is under way in the Coast Guard, I will continue to reflect on ways of further improving governance, oversight and safety procedures to ensure that Ireland can have a world-class search and rescue service.

Uppermost in our thoughts right now are the crew of R116 and their families and loved ones. We must all ensure the findings and recommendations set out in the report of the investigation are fully implemented to prevent similar accidents occurring in future.

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