Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Quite a number of Deputies, including the Ministers of State, Deputies Butler and James Browne, have been in touch with me on this issue and the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, is also dealing with it. An absolute minimum number of aircraft is specified to be on standby for coastguard aviation tasking. That is a minimum requirement and bidders can propose more. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, are very conscious of the overall needs, geographically and regionally, and all Deputies and Senators from the entire south east, including Deputy Shanahan, have been in touch with them. I do not want to speculate on the final procurement specifications or the outcome of the process but we do hear what people are saying to us on this issue.

See this speech in context