Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity and commend Senator Craughwell on tabling the motion. I commend all those who work in search and rescue, SAR, services and in the Defence Forces on their bravery and service. The service is literally life-saving. It involves a multi-year, multimillion euro contract. The current contract is worth between €50 million and €60 million per year so it is important that all options be examined. It is important to note that there is an ongoing tender process and that we do not want to interfere with that. The tender process, however, has to be fair and transparent, deliver value for money for the taxpayer and meet the standards of the public spending code. For such a major contract, it is important that we get it right.

Others have spoken about the importance of the SAR service. As an island nation, SAR helicopters provide essential cover around our coast. About 800 tasks are carried out every year. The service is responsible for covering a huge area of ocean. The occupation is a dangerous and selfless one. Senator Dooley mentioned those who died in service, including Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Chief Pilot Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Kieran Smith, who died in a helicopter crash in 2017 while assisting a rescue operation off the coast of Mayo.

The service provided by CHC and workers to date has been essential. They need to be acknowledged and commended on saving many lives through rescues and patient transfers. The list goes on. Sinn Féin believes there is a role for the Defence Forces in this area. I do not believe anyone is suggesting the Defence Forces should take full responsibility for SAR. I am not sure that it would have the capability, as such, but we believe there is a role for them.

Some commentary to date has caused concern among some existing CHC workers. This is not a criticism of the work done, but Sinn Féin would naturally prefer if the State provided essential services where it can and should. This can come as part of a much wider and much-needed investment in the Defence Forces. Unfortunately, the service has been allowed to hollow out, as is evident from the number of Defence Forces personnel on payments such as the family income supplement. We have heard reports about workers sleeping in their cars. The current pay and conditions are not nearly good enough considering the service the personnel provide. They must be improved. It is a sad state of affairs.

As the amendment points out, the Air Corps had confirmed it no longer had the operational or management experience required to run the SAR service and that substantial investment in equipment and training over many years would be required if it were to do so. This is evidence of the hollowing out of the Defence Forces by successive Governments.

I welcome the motion. I commend the men and women who put themselves in harm's way for our sake, including the men and women in the Defence Forces.