Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A pre-qualification tender for the provision of the Irish Coast Guard aviation service was published before Christmas. It specifies at least three bases nationally. Currently, there are four - Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin.

It is absolutely essential the R118 emergency service continues to operate from Sligo Airport. For the past two years, on the basis of call-outs, Sligo has been the busiest of the four national bases, covering an area from Galway to Belfast.

Sligo has a major disadvantage in tendering. The other six airports receive Government funding and there is €159 million, including capital funding, allocated over the next four years but Sligo is not included. There is massive concern that Rescue 118 will be taken from Sligo. I am asking the Tánaiste for a guarantee that Sligo will be one of these bases.

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