Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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432. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the Irish Coast Guard’s search and rescue response-time performance and aircraft availability for each of the past three years; the current coverage; the progress on interoperability with UK and EU partners for mass-casualty search and rescue or maritime migration contingencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47203/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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As Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports Seán Canney T.D, has responsibility for the Irish Coast Guard and the SAR Aviation Contract.

Dear Deputy Devlin,

Thank you for your recent question in relation to the Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue operations.

Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) Helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) services are provided under contract, which is currently transferring from CHCI to Bristow Ireland Limited (BIL). Both CHCI and BIL contracts provide for 24/7 operation of four IRCG SAR Search and Rescue Helicopter Bases located at Sligo, Shannon, Waterford, and Dublin.

All SAR helicopter bases are on 15-minute notice during the day and 45 minutes notices at nighttime. The operation of four helicopter bases provides an inherent resilience that enables continued delivery of nationwide services when bases go offline for reasons such as technical outages, helicopter maintenance, short term staff unavailability etc. which are interruptions to be expected in the normal course. The resilience of the four-base strategy has been well proven by CHCI, the outgoing service provider, in enabling them to fulfil their contractual obligations during the past 13 years.

The new contract provides for an increase in fleet from 5 to 6 helicopters. This should enhance the overall resilience of the SAR helicopter services and the capacity to provide Helicopters support to other State entities including National Ambulance Service and An Garda Síochána.

The Coast Guard has well established operational liaison arrangements with the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) on incident coordination both within and in adjoining areas of operations. The Coast Guard regularly provide SAR support in Northern Ireland when requested.

The Irish Sea Working Group, consisting of Coast Guard, Isle of Man Coast Guard and UK MCA is an established forum that facilities planning, exercising and exchange of operational information pertaining to Search and Recue including Mass Rescue operations. In addition, the Coast Guard has observer status on the Anglo-French Accident Technical Working Group (AFATG) another forum that provides for exchange of SAR maritime information, at an international level.

The Coast Guard also collaborates with other European Coast Guards through EU forum and networks. The Coast Guard is also an active member of the International Maritime Rescue Federation and partakes in that organisations mass rescue training courses and workshops.