Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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57. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the budget for the helicopter search and rescue in 2022; the subhead it falls under; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13394/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The provision of an effective Maritime Search and Rescue service is critical to Ireland as an island nation with a strong maritime sector. The sector depends on the reliability and professionalism of the Irish Coast Guard and all its component parts – including its 900 volunteers and Coast Guard aviation service – to offer a service which can deploy at a moment’s notice to rescue people in distress and bring them to a place of safety. Through the aviation service contract, the Coast Guard meets its obligations as prescribed in the National SAR Plan, the National Oil and Hazardous Noxious Substances Contingency Plan and its capacity to support other State agencies, in particular An Garda Siochana as the lead agency for open country Search and Rescue (lowland & mountain) and water rescue inland and provision of Air Ambulance to the HSE,  including day and night support to the island communities. In 2022, my department was provided with a current allocation of €65.5m for the provision of Coast Guard Aviation Services, which falls under subhead E3.