Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have spoken many times in recent months on the issue of search and rescue operations in Ireland, particularly in the context of the forthcoming contract. The contract that is about to expire has cost this State over €640 million. That contract has many flaws. I sought to have the forthcoming tender scrutinised by the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications but that has not really been taken up. I have used my Private Members' time here to have the issue debated. Again, the response from the Department was outrageous in so far as it provided no answers. Now, somebody from Mountain Rescue Ireland has seen fit to contact me and provide me with a copy of the submission it made to the search and rescue project team. In that submission, Mountain Rescue Ireland is damning of the helicopters in use in this country. The Sikorsky S-92 is too big and heavy. Mountain Rescue Ireland has criticised the fact that the helicopters are never available when they are needed at night because night vision capability was not part of the original contract, although eight years ago we paid more than €3.5 million to have the helicopters upgraded. To my certain knowledge, the services are still not using the night vision technology so the helicopters cannot be used in the mountains. It is said that the downdraft from the helicopters is so severe that it is a danger to the rescue crews at night. This results in casualties being put up risk because they have to be taken out of the mountains on foot at night.

As a Member of the Oireachtas, I believe I am obliged to do everything I can to make sure this country spends its money wisely and gets the best possible service for its citizens. I have done everything I can. My frustration is unbelievable. I just cannot understand where to go with this now. How do I get somebody to sit down and do something about it? The only thing I have got from the Department was an intimidating letter stating that it informed the expert advising it - an expert that had a balance sheet of €13,000 advising on a contract that will probably cost this State €1 billion - of my utterances and he has chosen not to take any issue with me or to take any action against me at this time. I will not be intimidated by anybody. At the end of the day, this State deserves the best it can get. If those concerned think they can bloody well intimidate me out of it, they can think again. It is in black and white; it is in writing. That is a damned bad way for any Department to go. How did we get a children's hospital that is costing billions of euro? We did not scrutinise when we could do so. We can scrutinise matters on this occasion before the tender is issued, and we should do so.