Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Just before Christmas the Government, through the Department of Transport, published a preliminary pre-qualification questionnaire for the national air-sea rescue service. The tender suggests a reduction of the helicopter bases from four to three and that the applicant companies can propose their own base configurations. This is creating extraordinary unease in the south east in respect of capability in the maritime space and our ability to transfer cardiac patients from University Hospital Waterford during the 129 hours per week when our catheterisation lab is closed. Members of the regional group along with Independent Senators in the Upper House have placed a motion to the Order Paper. Will the Taoiseach make space next week on the Order of Business for a debate on the shortcomings of this contract? Allowing this ten-year contract tender to proceed as presently described could significantly damage the capability of this critical service over the next decade.

See this speech in context