Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

To reiterate, the Minister for Transport has no regulatory oversight of the contracted services provided by the Irish Coast Guard aviation service. The Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, is the competent regulatory authority and it is tasked, for the purpose of this lifesaving aviation service, with ensuring oversight, compliance and enforcement of all relevant national, EU and European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulations.

As previously stated, currently, two contracted service providers provide the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue aviation service in the State. The service is currently transitioning from CHCI to the new service provider, Bristow Ireland Limited, BIL. The transition will be completed in the first quarter of 2026. Both service operators have the necessary IAA approvals to operate search and rescue services on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard. These include approvals and compliance with the Organisation of Working Time Act. The Department of Transport is prioritising the safe and effective transition of the aviation contract without interruption of service and is ensuring the two contracted operators, CHCI and BIL, are providing the capacity, expertise and resources to maintain safe search and rescue operations on a 24-7 basis across all areas of the country throughout this process and continuing to provide a high standard of service to mariners, maritime and offshore communities and wider State support, particularly to the health service.

The transition to the new aviation contract with newer, more technologically advanced helicopters is delivering a better service that is able to respond and operate in a wider range of areas. The Coast Guard's new fixed-wing aircraft services has enhanced search and rescue and pollution monitoring capabilities and is available to support other State agencies where necessary. The Minister particularly recognises the critical importance of this service to our offshore island communities which rely on the Irish Coast Guard to provide day- and night-time aeromedical support. The new contract operated by Bristow Ireland Limited will increase the capacity and capability of the Coast Guard to provide a range of essential services of strategic importance to the State, including maritime and inland search and rescue, aeromedical support, maritime environmental monitoring and aviation support to other State entities. As stated, a key feature of the transition to date has been the engagement by the new service provider, Bristow Ireland Limited, with the employee representative organisations, Fórsa, Unite and the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association, IALPA. This engagement resulted in Bristow subsequently concluding collective bargaining agreements, CBAs, with three organisations. Bristow Ireland Limited continues to actively engage with CHCI staff who wish to take up a position with Bristow in advance of them moving to the new positions and contracts.

Crews continue to operate 24-hour shifts under flight time limitation rules and a fatigue risk management system as required by the IAA.

The Department of Transport has been invited to comment on a draft IAA aeronautical notice that will set flight time limitations and rest requirements and will better reflect the application of fatigue risk management systems for the Irish Coast Guard operations replacing the current aeronautical notice No. O.58 for generic helicopter operations. This draft regulation does not alter total flight time, duty periods or standby treatment, which remains aligned with council directive 2000/79/EC and SI No. 507/2006. Consultation on the draft aeronautical notice is ongoing. The application of the fatigue risk management system regulation, which is in accordance with the international best practice for aviation, will be reflected in the draft aeronautical notice and further underlines the increased focus on crew member safety.

The Coast Guard search and rescue aviation service has and will be significantly enhanced when this new contract has fully transitioned. Over the past 12 months, the Coast Guard aviation service was deployed 929 times, saving 461 lives and assisting another 376. Approximately half of the deployments were assistance to the health service. Over 120 involved evacuations of injured or sick persons from offshore islands. A total of 27 incidents involved mountain rescues, 21 incidents involved medical evacuations of personnel from vessels at sea and the rest involved missions, such as assisting An Garda Síochána with missing persons searches.

I reiterate the continued delivery of safe, efficient and affective aviation services for the Irish Coast Guard is the overarching priority for the Government and the safety of SAR crew is of paramount concern. On behalf of the Minister for Transport, the Minister does not have any role in the regulatory oversight of this essential State service or the contracted service providers as the Coast Guard services are regulated by the Irish Aviation Authority. However, I have listened. There have been some interesting and informed submissions here. I will bring them back to the Minister. In these circumstances, however, the Minister for Transport has proposed a counter motion as outlined earlier by my ministerial colleague.

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