Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Tá áthas orm deis a bheith agam an cheist seo a phlé. The question I pose tonight about helicopter services in the north west brings me back to an Adjournment Debate in this House in February 1988. I was present that night. The untimely death in February 1988 of John Oglesby from Kincaslough, County Donegal, who died aboard his fishing vessel the Neptune off the Mayo coast, led to a campaign to provide emergency services around the coast. I was Minister of State at the time. The Government of the day; the Taoiseach, Charlie Haughey; and the Minister for the Marine, Brendan Daly, established an independent expert group under the chairmanship of the former Garda Commissioner, Eamonn Doherty, and came up with a number of recommendations. As a result of that, we have these services around the coast.

In the present day, there are genuine concerns about the new aircraft and their suitability for island-related helicopter emergency medical services, HEMS. Some people are trying to suggest that these services are secondary to search and rescue requirements, but that is not a fact. Search and rescue services and emergency medical services are equally important. Our island communities are extremely worried that the helicopter services that will be provided going forward may not be as good as those provided over the last number of years because there is to be a change in the type of helicopter providing the services.

I will pose a number of questions to the Minister of State with responsibility. Will Rescue 118 maintain its 24-hour coverage once the contract has been transferred to the new company or will it be reduced to a 12-hour service as it is in Shannon at the moment? Why has the transition process been so unclear, leaving crews and communities in the dark about their own future? That deserves clarity. What contingency plans are in place to ensure uninterrupted search and rescue coverage, particularly for islands and rural communities? Can the Government guarantee that the new company will meet the contract's original commitment of an all-weather 24-hour service 365 days per year?

There are concerns that stretchers may not fit into helicopters as they have in the past. When someone has a heart attack or acquires a spinal injury, a stretcher is absolutely essential. The last helicopters could carry 20 survivors and two stretchers. There has to be clarity on this. I hope that, after the Minister of State's response, we will be in a better position to clarify for our fishing sector and our island communities the importance of this service.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As Minister of State with responsibility for international and road transport, logistics, rail and ports, I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate on the new Coast Guard aviation service. The Irish Coast Guard search and rescue, SAR, aviation services are provided under a contract that is currently transitioning to Bristow Ireland Limited, BIL. The previous contractor, CHCI, had operated the service since 2012. On 30 May 2023, the Government approved the decision to award a contract for provision of the next national SAR aviation service to Bristow Helicopters. The decision to award the next contract for the delivery of an enhanced contract specification followed a comprehensive and robust public procurement process, which was undertaken fully in accordance with all national and EU procurement rules.

Bristow Ireland was established in August 2020 and is a subsidiary of Bristow Group Incorporated, a US-based multinational company. Bristow Group Incorporated currently operates similar contracts for SAR services for Governments in the UK and the Netherlands, and it also has extensive experience in supporting the oil and gas business internationally.

The total cost of the new contract, signed on 11 August 2023, for the standard ten-year contract term for the rotary wing element, plus a five-year minimum term for the fixed wing element, amounts to €816 million, including VAT. The Minister has the discretion to extend both the rotary and fixed wing elements to a maximum of 13 years.

The new enhanced contract specification provides for the operation of six AW 189 helicopters, five of which are newly built and have already been accepted into service by Bristow, with the sixth helicopter scheduled to enter service in September of this year. In addition, for the first time, the new contract includes a fixed wing element, which will be delivered by 2Excel Ireland, subcontractors to BIL, using two King Air aircraft. The fixed wing service, which recently commenced operations, is a notable addition to the State, enhancing the Coast Guard’s SAR capabilities, including inland and maritime, provision of “top cover” communications for longer-range helicopter missions, an air-droppable life raft capability, maritime environmental protection measures, including investigation of pollution and ship casualty reports, and capacity to transport up to three walk-on patients for emergency national or international transfers.

The new integrated aviation service will enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to deliver on its core services, including maritime and inland search and rescue, conduct maritime environmental monitoring, including pollution checks, provide aeromedical supports to the HSE and the National Ambulance Service, including helicopter emergency medical support and inter-hospital transfers, provide day and nighttime aeromedical support to the offshore island communities and provide other aviation support to State organisations. The new contract also provides improved crew accommodation facilities and enhanced mission management technology.

The regulatory certifications secured in 2024 included approval to conduct helicopter emergency medical services, HEMS. In April of this year, BIL was notified by the IAA that the stretcher in use by Bristow Ireland was not yet fully certified for HEMS activity. I understand the IAA directive relates only to the use of stretchers on board HEMS missions and the decision, therefore, has no impact on the delivery of primary Coast Guard aviation services, most notably search and rescue activities. This temporary HEMS stretcher restriction only applies to the Shannon base and the Coast Guard continues to provide nationwide HEMS support to the HSE and the NAS from its bases at Sligo, Waterford and Dublin. I understand Bristow has identified a replacement solution and expects this issue to be resolved shortly.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply and I hope it will clear up some of the misunderstandings that may have arisen. Perhaps he will clarify why the temporary HEMS restriction only applies to the Shannon base and the Coast Guard continues to provide a nationwide service. Why is there that differentiation and is it only a temporary measure?

Will the Minister of State confirm that Rescue 118 will maintain its 24-hour coverage once it transfers to Bristow Ireland or might it be reduced to a 12-hour service, as seen in Shannon? Whatever part of the coast that fishing vessels are located, if medical assistance is needed, all parts are important. Why is it a 12-hour service out of Shannon when there is a 24-hour service out of the other areas, in particular Sligo in the north-west? Can he clarify that Sligo will maintain its 24-hour coverage, which is all-important?

It is often said that if one has a heart attack on Tory Island or Arranmore Island, that is better because the person will be in Derry, Letterkenny Sligo or Galway more quickly than if they were along the coast, given it can take a number of hours to get there by ambulance. Perhaps the Minister of State can clarify those questions for me.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Following an engagement process with both contractors, the dates of transfer for the remaining three bases have been revised, as follows: Weston, 1 July 2025; Sligo, 15 December 2025; and Waterford, 31 January 2026.

I reiterate that the Department of Transport is prioritising the safe and effective transition of this aviation contract without interruption of service and is ensuring that the two contracted operators, CHCI and BIL, are providing sufficient 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. The Department is engaged with both contractors to facilitate revised transition timelines. As I stated, the transition timeline following engagement and agreement between the two operators has been extended to February 2026 at no cost to the Exchequer. The operation of four bases provides resilience for service delivery so that when individual bases become temporarily unavailable, the workload is shared among the other bases, with the specific requirements for each mission being assessed as they arise. In the case of both contracts, the availability of any base can range from full availability to partial availability or temporary availability.

The new contract operated by Bristow Ireland will increase the capacity and capability of the Coast Guard to provide a range of essential services that are of strategic importance to the State, including maritime and inland search and rescue, environmental monitoring and aeromedical support. I recognise the critical importance of the service to our offshore islands, which rely on the Irish Coast Guard to provide day and nighttime aeromedical support to these communities.

The Department will not allow any risk to be taken in a rush to meet contractual deadlines. The safety of the crew is the overarching priority. I reiterate that during this transition phase, a continued safe, efficient and effective aviation service is the overarching priority for the Government.