John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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280. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for the number and location of designated sites across the country in which the Coast Guard helicopter or emergency search and rescue helicopters can land in the hours of darkness. [1813/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Coast Guard helicopter services are provided under contract by CHC Ireland (CHCI) operating out of four bases located at Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin. Helicopters are on 15 minutes notice to take off by day and 45 minutes notice by night. Bristow Ireland is replacing CHC as the contract provider and this transition is being conducted on a staged basis and due for completion this year. The contract operator is responsible for determining the suitability of any landing sites that it uses.

The current list of approved landing sites for night time use for Search and Rescue (SAR) and for HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) include: