Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Transport the reason he failed to meet with a former head of the Air Corps to discuss a cheaper alternative to the recently signed €500 million national search and rescue contract; if he will provide details of the contract signed with a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35120/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The possibility of the Air Corps providing a Maritime Search and Rescue service was considered by both the Department of Transport and the Department of Defence. The Department of Defence consulted with the Air Corps at that time. However the potential for the Air Corps to re-enter this area of operations was not considered feasible. The contract for this service was publicly advertised. It was open to any individual group or company to submit a tender. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any cheaper alternative would have emerged from any proposed meeting with this or any other individual.

The Air Corps was withdrawn from maritime search and rescue in 2004 following operational difficulties in the provision of a consistent and satisfactory level of service. This included very significant difficulties experienced in retaining the necessary highly skilled and experienced Search and Rescue personnel. Current Air Corps helicopter assets are not configured for maritime search and rescue, and I understand that the Air Corps do not have pilots or winch men with the required training and experience to support such operations. Indeed it should be noted that the smaller Air Corps EC135 or AW139 helicopters do not provide the maritime search and rescue capacity and capability of the Sikorsky S92A's that will be provided on the new contract. The new contract with CHC will run for 10 years and will represent a stepped improvement in the safety, range, speed, and capability of Ireland's Search and Rescue service, using modern medium-load helicopters. CHC Ireland is also the current service provider.