Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Defence the cost to the Air Corps of search and rescue operations during its last full year of full responsibility for such duties in Irish territory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20054/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Coast Guard has overall responsibility for the provision of a maritime search and rescue services within the Irish search and rescue region and on rivers, lakes and waterways in this country. Prior to the Irish Coast Guard, responsibility was with the Irish Marine Emergency Service (IMES) of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources. An Garda Síochána have lead responsibility for land based search and rescue. The Air Corps does not have now and did not have in the past full responsibility for the provision of search and rescue services.

The Defence Forces are committed to providing support to the civil power and to the civil authorities in relation to search and rescue. In this regard, the Air Corps and the Naval Service will continue to provide support to the Coast Guard and an Garda Síochána as the need arises and within their available capacity. Air Corps pilots will continue to train in search and rescue techniques and to provide a limited non-maritime search and rescue response.

The last year in which the Air Corps was the sole provider of air support for search and rescue was 1990. The types of helicopters used were an Alouette 3 based in Baldonnel (day time operation only) and a Dauphin based in Shannon (day and night operations). It has not been possible, in the time available, to discover the number of hours flown in the role, or the number of missions flown. To do so would require the assignment of personnel to specifically retrieve archival material from approximately 20 years ago. As a result, it has not been possible to calculate the total cost of search and rescue for 1990. The costings applicable in 1990 were £615.00 per hour for the Alouette 3 and £2,000.00 per hour for the Dauphin. These figures included fuel, depreciation, maintenance and personnel costs.

There is no plan to reconsider the decision to withdraw the Air Corps from the maritime search and rescue service.