Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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311. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale for not appointing a technical expert for the second review board regarding the Rescue 116 report in view of the fact that his predecessor had appointed a person with this level of expertise in the first instance (details supplied). [17589/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Deputy will be aware that I established a new Review Board last October to re-examine certain findings of the draft Final Report of the investigation into the accident involving Rescue 116 at Black Sod, Co Mayo in 2017. The new Review Board was established following the recusal of the technical assessor from the previous Review Board and was constituted taking account of legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General.

The Review Board was established in line with Regulation 16 of Air Navigation (Notification and Investigation of Accidents, Serious Incidents and Incidents) Regulations 2009. The 2009 Regulations provide that the Review Board shall consist of a chairperson (who shall be either a barrister or solicitor of not less than 10 years’ standing, or a person who, in the Minister’s opinion, possesses aeronautical, engineering or other special knowledge or experience of air navigation or aviation). The regulations also provide that the Review Board may also include one or more persons who, in the Minister’s opinion, possesses aeronautical, engineering, legal or other special knowledge, to act as technical assessors to assist the chairperson in conducting the re-examination.

Following engagement with the Office of the Attorney General, I appointed Senior Counsel Patrick McCann as the Chairperson and sole member of the Review Board in line with the 2009 regulations. The Review Board is independent in its work in accordance with the 2009 Regulations.