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

The IAA air navigation service provider, NSP, is responsible for the provision of aviation rescue co-ordination within Ireland's search and rescue region which is coincident with the Shannon flight information region. The IAA and NSP provide this service from the aviation rescue co-ordination centre, ARCC, in Shannon air traffic control centre, ATC, and the aviation rescue sub-centre in Dublin ATC. Marine rescue is provided by the Coast Guard from the marine rescue co-ordination centre, MRCC, in Dublin with marine rescue sub-centres in Valentia and Malin. Both the ARCC and the MRCC work closely with An Garda Síochána, which is the agency for the provision of land-based search and rescue.

On Committee Stage, Schedule 2 to the Bill was amended to make clear that the IAA has responsibility for regulation of the rescue co-ordination centres and rescue sub-centres aspect of annex 12 of the convention. Pursuant to SI 171 of 1995 and SI 172 of 1995, with the IAA air navigation service provider given responsibility for operationalising the aeronautical rescue co-ordination centre, responsibility for oversight of the ARCC fell to the IAA regulator. In essence the Bill is restating this position. As previously confirmed to Senator Craughwell, this amendment does not relate to the findings of the Air Accident Investigation Unit, AAIU, report into the R116 air accident.