Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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448. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated final cost of the current search and rescue helicopter contract; the proposed value of the new search and rescue helicopter contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20776/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Following a competitive tender process, a contract agreement for search and rescue helicopters was signed between the then Minister for Transport and CHC Ireland DAC. ?The contract commenced on 1st July 2012 for a period of 10 years, with an option to extend for up to a further 3 years.

The annual cost of the contract is €57m approximately but this can vary from one year to the next. This figure includes overheads - running the bases, paying the staff, maintenance of the helicopters, fuel, etc. There is no budget allocation set for the new contract as this would be premature. This can only be determined through the Public Spending Code process, which includes a detailed business case which will go to Government in due course. Based on that and the outcome of the tendering process, a budget requirement will be determined.

The current status of the procurement process can be referenced in the Published eTenders update on eTenders and our SAR Webpage

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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449. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the new search and rescue helicopter contract will be put out to tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20777/21]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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451. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the new search and rescue helicopter contract will consider a mixed approach to service delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20779/21]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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452. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received a submission from the Air Corps in relation to providing services for the search and rescue helicopter contract; if this has been considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20780/21]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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453. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of times the search and rescue aviation steering group that have met since its inception; the number of members of the steering group; the Department or agency which they represent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20781/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 451 to 453, inclusive, together.

In November 2019 the Department of Transport commenced a process to prepare for the next iteration of the Coast Guard Aviation service. This is an on-going deliberative process which will ultimately lead to a Government decision. The current status of the procurement process can be referenced in the Published eTenders update on eTenders and our SAR Webpage

As a first step in the Public Spending Code process, a Strategic Assessment and Preliminary Appraisal was prepared by the Department’s Strategic Research and Analysis Division in close consultation with the Steering Group and in line with so-called “Gate 0” of the Public Spending Code. Having been agreed by the Steering Group, this went to Government for information in July.

This appraisal included a strategic assessment which also included an appraisal of various service delivery options.

A Steering Group chaired by the Director of the Irish Coast Guard was established in 2019 to manage this process with a view to ensuring the next service meets domestic and international obligations for search and rescue and represents value for money for the State. The Steering Group comprises Irish Coast Guard/Department of Transport staff and relevant key stakeholders and appropriate necessary expertise. All members of the Steering Group are required to sign a Conflict of Interest declaration and agree the terms of a Communications Protocol.

The members of the Steering Group include representatives nominated from the following: Department of Health/HSE, Department of Justice/An Garda Siochána, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Irish Aviation Authority. Aviation Expertise and a Financial & Economic Consultant are also available. A Procurement Advisor (Process Auditor) was appointed in early 2020 to independently observe the procurement process to ensure that the procurement principles and rules are met at every stage of the process. Department of Defence/Aer Corps were previous members but have since been recused since submitting a proposal in February 2020 for an element of the SAR Aviation Service .

Since its inception the Steering Group have met on four occasions; November 2019, February 2020, June 2020 and October 2020 with a further meeting due in Q2, 2021.

It is our intent to publish Tender documents later in 2021.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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450. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a review has been undertaken to date to assess the value for money of the existing search and rescue helicopter contract; if the conclusions of this review will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20778/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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A mid-term assessment of the CHCI IRCG contract was conducted in 2018 which covered a variety of performance and costing issues relating to the contract and it also included the identification of issues and lessons to be taken into consideration in relation to a successor service. The assessment was conducted by Aerossurance Ltd, who were appointed by my Department in 2017, following an open procurement process, as aviation consultants for the Coast Guard. The review is not publicly available as it contains commercially sensitive information and forms part of a wider deliberative process for the procurement of the new SAR Aviation service currently underway.