Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

820. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department has taken on board the safety recommendation by the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport following on from an incident in Newcastle, County Wicklow in July 2012 involving a Reims Cessna FRA150M, G-BDOW aircraft; if his Department will be engaging with the Emergency Call Answering Service service provider and the emergency services to consider putting procedures in place which ensure that emergency calls related to air accidents are notified immediately to all of the emergency services; when he expects his Department to revert back to the AAIU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38306/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department has regular meetings with all the emergency services to review procedures in relation to the handling of emergency calls. The agreed procedure with the emergency services is to request the caller to identify which of the four emergency services (Garda, Ambulance, Fire or Coastguard) is required and to connect the caller to that emergency service. The procedures in place also require that where the emergency services operator becomes aware that the call relates to an aviation incident to make Shannon Air Traffic Control aware of the call or to put the call through to Shannon Air Traffic Control.

Following the air accident at Newcastle Co Wicklow on the 12^th July 2012 the procedures were re-examined and all the emergency call operators were advised to forward any call that relates to an air incident to Shannon Air Traffic Control via its Duty Watch Manager. In the event that Shannon Air Traffic Control is not able to take the call, the procedure in place requires the emergency call answering service to put the call through to Dublin Air Traffic Control's Duty Watch Manager.

The management of such an incident and the responsibility for contacting the appropriate emergency services is then a matter for the relevant Air Traffic Control service.

The procedures in place address the recommendations made by the Air Investigation Unit in their report.