Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I sincerely thank the Senators for their contributions this afternoon. We all share the common goal of seeking to prevent similar accidents occurring in the future. The provision of an effective maritime search and rescue service is critical to Ireland as an island national with a strong maritime sector. The sector depends on the reliability and professionalism of the Irish Coast Guard and all of its component parts, including the Coast Guard aviation service, and on its ability to offer a service which can deploy at a moment's notice to rescue people in distress and bring them to a place of safety. Senators have clearly outlined that here this evening.

The national SAR plan is the key means by which we implement search and rescue policy in Ireland and the new national SAR plan is the baseline reference document for use by all search and rescue organisations in Ireland. It also promulgates the agreed method of co-ordination through which search and rescue operations are conducted in Ireland's search and rescue region. The new national SAR committee, the national SAR consultative committee and other structures, such as the SAR health and safety forum, provide a good framework to progress the co-ordination of the implementation of safety recommendations across all of the relevant bodies. Formalised meeting arrangements have also been established between the Coast Guard and the SAR aviation contractor to enable early identification of, and response to, safety issues, as highlighted. A safety interface arrangement has been agreed and this is overseen by a quarterly safety meeting.

The IAA has reviewed and fully accepts the recommendations addressed to it as the national aviation regulator. Many of these have already been implemented or are proceeding to full implementation. The IAA will be responding independently to the findings addressed to it. More broadly, in the overall context of improving safety in search and rescue operations, my officials have been engaging with the safety regulation division, SRD, of the IAA and the regulator himself. A team of technical experts within the SRD is examining in detail the report, each finding and each safety recommendation. The IAA will use its regulatory oversight role to examine the implementation of the wider recommendations and provide any necessary support. The IAA will continue to work with the European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in the development of safety rules.

The Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020 provides legislative underpinning for an even more enhanced role for the IAA in terms of oversight of Coast Guard aviation activities. The new provisions provide clarity and strengthen the regulatory framework by ensuring that the IAA, in making regulations that apply to the Coast Guard, takes into consideration the public benefit of the activities of the Coast Guard, which are very different in nature from commercial air transport activities, and consults with the Coast Guard, as is good practice. The provisions further provide that, in making regulations, the IAA must align them with certain elements of European aviation safety regulations that are appropriate and relevant to Coast Guard aviation activities. In conjunction with the provisions of the Air Navigation and Transport Bill, secondary legislation is being prepared by the IAA to provide further operational clarity to operators of search and rescue. The IAA has developed a revised set of regulations and detailed rules specific to search and rescue that are currently being considered by the Department and the Coast Guard.The Irish national search and rescue rules are being developed to assist operational search and rescue stakeholders in determining the appropriate procedures, operations and manual guidance to operate civil search and rescue helicopters in Ireland.

The Coast Guard has been operating and delivering an aviation search and rescue service for the past 30 years through a mix of private contractors and the military. The Coast Guard carries out regular audits of the aviation service provider to ensure compliance with contractual arrangements. The Coast Guard has in place a contract for the provision of helicopter aviation consultancy services. In addition to this, the Department has approved an aviation manager post in the Coast Guard. The successful candidate will have the requisite aviation knowledge, skills and experience and will manage the aviation contract and related operational and key safety issues. The Department and the Coast Guard are examining options to increase its in-house expertise on foot of the air accident investigation unit's recommendations.

Recognising the detailed complex and interconnected findings, conclusions and safety recommendations contained in the report, I would encourage Members to go to the report as the definitive source of information as to what contributed to the accident. It is unhelpful for findings to be inferred from the report that are not the findings of the investigation.

I have listened very carefully to the suggestions offered by Members on how we can further improve search and rescue operations, and while a detailed programme of change is under way in the Coast Guard, I will continue to reflect on ways of further improving governance, oversight and safety procedures to ensure Ireland can have a world-class rescue service. I thank the Senators for giving of their time.