Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Air Corps was requested to provide top cover for Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 during its ill-fated mission off the County Mayo coast; if its inability to assist in the search-and-recovery mission was directly attributable to cuts which have reduced the number of air traffic controllers and other experienced personnel to the point that the Air Corps can no longer operate on a 24-hour basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15539/17]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I want to express my sincere sympathies to the family and friends of the crew the Irish Coast Guard helicopter, R116, Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby. Guím suaimhneas síoraí orthu.

Was the Air Corps requested to provide top cover for Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 during its ill-fated rescue mission off the County Mayo coast which led to the deaths of the four brave responders? Was the Air Corps inability to assist in the search and recovery mission directly attributable to cuts which has led to the lack of experienced personnel in the Air Corps?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I want to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the crew involved in the loss of Rescue 116, which has been a shock to us all. I would also like to recognise the efforts of everyone involved in the recovery operation.

On the night of the tragic incident, the Coast Guard requested the assistance of the Air Corps to provide top cover. It was not possible to undertake this task because the CASA aircraft was unavailable. On this occasion, it was because of a reduced availability of experienced personnel, both air crew and air traffic control. The Air Corps is not providing fixed-wing aircraft for routine operations on an ongoing basis outside normal hours. However, in exceptional circumstances outside of normal hours, the Air Corps can recall personnel, as happened when Rescue 116 went missing.

The Air Corps continues to provide a broad range of services on a daily basis for a diverse range of tasks such as Army and Naval Service support, the emergency aero-medical service, maritime patrols and fishery protection, the ministerial air transport service, inter-hospital transfers and aid to the civil power duties including the Garda air support unit and security escorts.

The reduction in experienced personnel in the Air Corps has not arisen due to cuts in personnel numbers. As with other areas of the public service, challenges have arisen with the recruitment and retention of personnel in particular areas of expertise. The Air Corps has experienced retirements of highly-experienced personnel and these retirements are outstripping the recruitment and training of replacement personnel. The loss of experienced personnel is driven by a range of factors, including the availability of attractive job opportunities in the private and commercial semi-State sectors. This loss of experienced personnel has, in turn, impacted on the availability of aircraft.

The Coast Guard, which operates under the aegis of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, has overall responsibility for the provision of search and rescue services within the Irish search and rescue region. The Coast Guard search and rescue services can request the support of the Air Corps on an as-available basis under a service level agreement between the Department of Defence and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the most recent of which has been in place since 2013. Availability is dependent upon several factors, including the availability of suitable aircraft, the availability of flying crews and the suitability of weather conditions.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

All agencies to which the Air Corps provides supports , on an as-available basis, in accordance with their service level agreements , were notified of reduced availability last summer. However, it is normal practice for agencies to check for Air Corps availability as relevant missions arise. I assure the House that there is significant work under way in the defence organisation, both civil and military, aimed at improving the capacity of the Air Corps. This includes work on a range of actions to improve pilot retention.

Recruitment of new personnel is taking place and pilot cadets are in training. However, it will take time for these cadets, when qualified, to develop their skills and expertise. As such, a return to previous levels of capability in the Air Corps will be a gradual process as pilots within the system progress to become aircraft commanders and newly qualified cadets become pilots.

Actions are also under way to return a full level of air traffic control services to the Air Corps. Air traffic control training is taking place and options to ensure the longer-term sustainability of air traffic control services in Baldonnel are being identified. These measures will facilitate a gradual extension of operational hours for air traffic control services in Baldonnel over the year, beginning this May, as newly-qualified personnel develop their experience and with an anticipated return to full 24-7 service in early 2018.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The tragic loss of R116 has caused shockwaves across the emergency services. Regrettably, the sense of grief has been compounded by what has emerged after, namely that the Air Corps was unable to assign a fixed-wing patrol aircraft to provide the top cover that would normally happen which meant that R116 was scrambled. The Minister of State confirmed recently, and just repeated again, that the Air Corps, despite being best equipped to provide such top cover with its CASA fixed-wing maritime patrol aircraft, is only available to provide this essential service on a part-time basis. Punitive cutbacks imposed on the Defence Forces and a lack of planning are the reasons the Air Corps is in such a state.

In particular, I refer to the non-replacement of personnel and the lack of recruits for many years. The specialist nature of air crew and air traffic control means that it is only in the most exceptional circumstances that the Air Corps can provide personnel outside normal hours, as happened when Rescue 116 went down, and it is also why personnel cannot be made available for the transfer of patients such as children who need an organ transplants outside the normal hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as the Minister of State confirmed to me only last month.

The fate of Rescue 116 must serve as a wake up call. In light of this horrendous, and, I believe, avoidable, tragedy, when can we expect the loss of experienced personnel in the Air Corps to be replaced in order that the 24-hour top cover can be reinstated? Can the Minister of State provide an assurance that out of the 28 Air Corps cadets currently in training that an adequate number will be assigned as tech and fire crews and when will they be in place to provide those critical roles? When will he fill the other 47 positions that are vacant? That does not, however, take account of those retiring this year, which is a point the Minister of State made earlier.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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First, I wish to state that this facility is only based on a service level agreement. As I stated in my reply, the Air Corps will be able to provide such an as-available service both to the Department of Health or the HSE for medical transfers and to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. That facility is based on a service level agreement and that is stated clearly in that agreement.

To address the Deputy's other question, the Air Corps continues to provide a broad range of services on a daily basis for a diverse range of tasks such as Army and Naval Service support. The level of availability of Air Corps aircraft for such tasks has reduced. This reduction is not due to the cuts in personnel but largely because the Air Corps has experienced retirements of highly experienced personnel. These retirements are outstripping the recruitment and training of replacement personnel. The loss of experienced personnel is driven by a range of factors - as I have stated here on numerous occasions - including the availability of attractive job opportunities in private and commercial semi-State sectors.

I assure the Deputy that while there has been a loss of experienced personnel, significant work is under way in the Defence organisation, both civil and military, aimed at improving the capacity of the Air Corps, which includes pilot training, a cadet recruitment campaign is under way, four personnel will complete air traffic training between May and September and the Air Corps is currently inducting a further air traffic control course, which started on Monday last.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are over time on all these questions. I call Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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There are still at least 47 vacancies in the Air Corps. When will personnel be in place for the Air Corps to be in a position to provide 24-hour top cover whenever they receive a request for such assistance? When does the Minister of State expect the 12 trainee controllers to be in place to provide the 24-hour duties?

Can he confirm that before qualifying a controller is only allowed work on a tower while accompanied until they he or she has obtained the rank of sergeant or higher, thus, causing a further delay in restoring that full cover? What are the qualifications needed for Air Corps personnel to qualify as an approach radar sergeant? Is it the current policy to allow only commissioned officers to be trained as radar guided intercept controllers and has this contributed to CATSO losing its capacity to control air traffic as a result of lapsed licences, something which is not just related to a service level agreement?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has asked a number of technical questions and I will respond to him in writing with specific answers to some of those questions. I assure him that I am in the process of addressing issues, including the shortage of air traffic controllers and, as I stated, some personnel have almost completed their training. Another group of personnel started their air traffic control training on Monday last. Some pilots are coming through and I hope to increase the pilot cadetship in 2017.

I cannot address these issues overnight. These are a number of issues I inherited when I was appointed to this position. I am in the process of addressing them and I would be the first to put my hand up and say there is a shortage of personnel. That shortage is due to the fact that there are attractive positions outside the Air Corps. A number of things are happening in the background to address other issues regarding the retention of specific people who have a specific set of skills. This is not only an issue within the Air Corps, it is also an issue in the HSE and the Minister, Deputy Harris, would tell me that he is losing experienced personnel because there are more attractive packages outside of the organisations here. I am very much in the process of addressing that issue. I will respond in writing to the technical issues the Deputy raised.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are moving on to Question No. 4 to facilitate Deputy Barry.