Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

314. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if an emergency service (details supplied) was used as part of an operation; the reason this was used; the reason another service was not available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40800/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Military Authorities have advised that the decision to temporally withdraw an Air Corps AW139 helicopter from Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) duties for a period of 2.5 hours on 26 September 2023 was driven by an exceptional national security imperative. In extraordinary circumstances involving national security, the Defence Forces may reallocate assets based on operational priorities.

This was a strategic decision to address an extraordinary threat, with the understanding that the National Ambulance Service would implement emergency contingency measures to offset the impact of the EAS Service suspension for that period. This highlights the flexibility and coordination required between different state agencies in responding to complex and critical incidents.

The success of this major multi-agency operation led to the the largest seizure of drugs in the history of the State and the successful prosecution of those involved. The scale and potential impact of this drug shipment necessitated an immediate and decisive response.