Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will share time with Senator Doherty. I thank the Minister of State for being here, commend her on the statement she has made to the House and welcome that we have commenced a formal procurement process for a new Irish Coast Guard aviation service. The tender was amended earlier this year. The procurement process is, as the Minister of State said, commercially sensitive, and I will not stray into that. I understand that the Government is acutely aware of the significance and importance of this contract and this service. I thank the men and women who serve at critical times, on occasion in awful conditions. It is important we recognise that the pre-qualification questionnaire, PQQ, evaluation process has begun. I am only sorry we did not have the base in Cork, but we will not go into that. There are four bases in Ireland.

I thank the Minister of State for being here. We will get our contract signed.