Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wonder how we are allowing a Department with no aviation expertise to have any hand, act or part in the next SAR tender services and how we are allowing the Department or the Irish Coast Guard to lead out on the next SAR. Within days of the PQQ to which the Minister of State adverted in his reply being issued, it had to be extended because of the change from three bases to four bases. We are about to move to the tender stage, yet the PQQ at the time did not take account of the new regulation set down by the Irish Aviation Authority, changing from 24-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts. This will significantly impact the payroll costs of the organisation that is contracted to the next SAR service.

The bottom line on this is that it fired out a 415 page submission by the Irish Air Corps to provide SAR with a three-page piece of junk that offers no technological, empirical or statistical evidence to support its conclusions. I am deeply concerned that we are moving to the next contract without any expertise within the Department that is leading out or its sub-unit, the Irish Coast Guard. This is recklessness. I have made my position clear in many emails that have been circulated to all Members of this House.

I do not want to hammer the Minister of State, as it is not his area of responsibility. I very much appreciate the fact that he came here to take this Commencement matter today, but I will not let this matter go. Lives are being put at risk. A total of €400 million of public money is about to be wasted.