Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Transport the detail of a new contract between the State and a Canadian company for the provision of a helicopter search and rescue service; the way this will interact with the current service provider by the Coast Guard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13572/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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CHC Ireland has been selected as the preferred bidder for the supply of the national Search and Rescue Helicopter service from mid-2013.

Following the required stand-still period, which finished yesterday (29th March 2010), contract negotiations have just commenced.

The new contract will run for 10 years and will represent a stepped improvement in the capacity, range, speed, and capability of Irelands SAR service, using modern medium-load helicopters.

CHC Ireland are also the current service provider.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will publish details of the call out incidents for helicopter search and rescue service for each of the operating bases run by the Coast Guard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13573/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The detailed statistics requested cannot be provided at this time due to industrial action. However I will provide the Deputy at a later date with a table and charts that may be of interest to him.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Transport the rationale behind proposals to downgrade the level of cover for helicopter search and rescue missions for the south and east coast in view of the heavy volume of fishing commercial and recreational traffic in the south and east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13574/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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There has been much ill informed comment about the proposed new SAR contract.

The new contract has been presented as a "cutback" in services; nothing could be further from the truth. The new contract will cost significantly more on an annual basis than the current contract, because of the improved services to be provided.

The Government has just approved a massive half a billion euro investment in maritime search and rescue capability on the island. The proposed contract represents a dramatic increase in funding for SAR helicopter services in Ireland from approximately €30 million to €50 million per annum. This is an increase, in difficult circumstances, of €20 million a year in this service alone.

The new contract represents a stepped improvement in the capacity, range, speed and capability of Irelands SAR service.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Transport the contact between his Department and the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform regarding the ability of the Garda helicopter service to participate in search and rescue in view of new contractual arrangements being considered and specifically the proposal to downgrade the level of service available in the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13575/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The helicopters in use by the Garda Air Support Unit are unsuitable for maritime Search and Rescue tasks. They are not equipped or configured for maritime Search and Rescue and would certainly not be suitable for most of the conditions and circumstances where SAR operations are deployed in the Irish Search and Rescue region.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Transport the contact between his Department and the Department of Defence regarding the ability of the Air Corps to participate in search and rescue in the view of the new contractual arrangements being considered and specifically the proposal to downgrade the level of service available in the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13576/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The possibility of the Department of Defence taking over responsibility for Search and Rescue operations was considered by both Departments. However the potential for the Air Corps to re-enter this area of operations was not considered feasible.