Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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73. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in light of safety recommendation no. 28 of the Air Accident Investigation Unit's final report into the crash of Rescue 116 (Sikorsky S-92A, EI-ICR, Black Rock, Co. Mayo, 14 March 2017), which recommended that the he ensure the Department has "sufficient specialist aviation expertise" to discharge its oversight function; the number of staff currently assigned to the Aviation Division of his Department hold professional aviation qualifications or specialist aviation technical competencies; the qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17851/26]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport whether his Department has established specific recruitment criteria, qualification requirements, or technical training programmes for staff in its Aviation Division who are responsible for oversight of organisations (details supplied); if so, to provide details of same; if not, the reason no such standards have been established given the AAIU's recommendation that his Department periodically review its in-house technical capabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17852/26]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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75. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport whether his Department has the capacity to independently assess technical claims made by the aviation bodies it oversees, including organisations (details supplied), without relying on those same bodies for the assessment; if not, the way this is consistent with the AAIU's finding that his Department lacked the specialist aviation expertise to discharge its oversight function; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17853/26]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 74 and 75 together.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) oversee both Air Nav Ireland and daa in relation to aviation safety and technical standards. The IAA are themselves subject to oversight from both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) and is subject to audits and inspections from those bodies. The Department engages in a structured manner with IAA on aviation safety risks and trends, as well as on international oversight of IAA and upcoming regulatory developments. The Department of Transport oversees all the agencies under its aegis in policy and legislative matters.

The Deputy may wish to note that the safety recommendation that makes reference to ensuring that my Department has sufficient specialist aviation expertise to enable it to discharge effective oversight of the full range of IAA activities is safety recommendation no. 31. On foot of this recommendation in the Air Accident Investigation Unit’s (AAIU) final report into the Rescue 116 accident, the previous Minister for Transport commissioned an independent review of aviation expertise utilised by EU ministries with responsibility for civil aviation. The oversight of aviation safety regulation in other jurisdictions was carried out by aviation consultants AQE (Aerospace Qualified Entity). The review concluded that the Department has resources and expertise that are comparable to those Ministries in other European states with an independent aviation safety regulator. The Department’s arrangements for the oversight of the IAA were found to be comprehensive, robust, covering the full range of aspects of the work of the IAA.

The Department also conducted an in-house review of the oversight of safety regulation in other sectors in Ireland. The review found that the Department of Transport has comparable personnel, expertise and resources allocated to the oversight of the IAA to that of other government departments overseeing an independent safety regulator. Similar to the other departments, the Department of Transport relies on its independent regulator for technical expertise and advice when appropriate.

When an external view is required, my Department contracts aviation expertise and draws on advice. There are significant advantages to the approach of externally contracting specialist aviation expertise as necessary. It gives access to a greater range, depth and quantum of expertise compared to a standing appointment of a single expert on contract or otherwise.

In addition, periodic review of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) by the Department is provided for in the Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993. Section 32 of the 1993 Act requires me to appoint an independent person or body to carry out an examination of the performance by the IAA of its functions in so far as they relate to the application and enforcement of technical and safety standards in relation to aviation safety. The section 32 examination is undertaken periodically, is independent from ICAO and EASA audits, and the audit is undertaken by contracted industry experts. A Section 32 examination is currently underway.