Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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93. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his response to the Defence Forces proposal that the Air Corps takes over some maritime search-and-rescue operations including the implications for the current service provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25141/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The current service provider, CHC Ireland (CHCI) , is engaged in a 10-year contract with my Department, which commenced in 2012. The contract has already been extended for 1 year and may be extended for a further 2 years. No tender has issued for a successor to this contract but a procurement process has commenced.

In light of recent media commentary on this process, the Department issued a lengthy update to all interested parties to provide, inter alia, clarity to potential bidders on the process. This update, along with all other pertinent information is available on our SAR Webpage.

As set out in that update, the Secretary General of Department of Defence requested the Secretary General of the Department of Transport to explore the option of the Air Corps providing some element of the IRCG’s aviation service as part of the business case in November 2020.

On foot of this request, an Air Corps submission was received by my Department last March which is being reviewed as part of the preparation of a detailed business case on the entire IRCG aviation service. This is part of a deliberative process which will lead to a Government decision in due course and on which it would not be appropriate for me to comment.