Senator Gerard Craughwell- speech from 9 Nov 2021

Goeir maith agathe Coiheerleach. Coiheerleach, last Saturday we gathered in Caolbrough Barracks to remember the men of Niemba and the Niemba Massacre and it's timely that we remember that members of the Irish Defence Forces actually lose their lives, some of them brutally as they serve overseas. Next Sunday we will remember the Irish who fell in the First and Second World War in St Patrick's Cathedral and around many other cathedrals around the country and I hope to get to one or two of those myself and I will encourage colleagues to visit them as well. Today, however, Leader, I want to talk about Rescue 116. The initial report into the crash of R116 took four years longer than it should have. The important point about air accident investigation is to get the report out quickly so as we learn the lessons. Indeed, it's timely that this report comes out when we're debating in this house the next air navigation and transport bill. We should take on board the fact that the fact that sometimes the experts actually know what they're talking about, particularly pilots and the like. The outsourcing of SAR over the past two decades in this country has been a high risk activity. When the SAR contract was awarded to CHC DAC, it's clear that neither the Department of Transport nor the Irish Coast Guard had the experience or the expertise to assess the tenders, nor had they the ability to oversee the operation of the service once it was commenced. For example, in 2009, the future helicopter study group recommended that the next SAR contract should include night vision technology. Indeed, the contract was given without the requirement for night vision technology, which resulted in the aircraft having to be retrofitted in 2013 at the cost of the exchequer of some three and a half million euros before VAT. One of the things that has come out in the report of rescue 116 is that the lighting in the cockpit was appalling. Now, I'm no expert. I have no idea of what happened during the retrofitting of the lighting systems. But I do know that night vision technology requires very low level lighting in the cockpit. And I understand modern helicopters have a switch between NVG and NVG off. Following the crash of rescue 116, the Department of Transport and the Coast Guard in 2017 sought a company to carry out the work it should have been doing, and that is the overseeing of the operation. Now, I know that Carherlock is sitting there with the bell at the moment to strike on it, but this is important. The company that was employed is a one-man operation to oversee a billion-euro contract. It is outrageous that this would have happened. Thank you, Senator. If we have learnt nothing else, we should have learnt from that. One of the things that we have got to do right now, Leader, and I'm begging you to get this across to both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport. Thank you, Senator. That we halt the current tender process. We cannot go ahead until we have learnt the lessons from R116. We cannot have a company that was reckless in safety. Thank you, Senator. It is in the report. I am not saying anything that is not public knowledge. It was reckless in its behaviour with respect to safety. As you have pointed out, it is a one-person company and it obviously makes it easier. Well, the one-person company is long in the public domain and the Minister himself is not here to defend themselves, not me. Senator, it might be a matter for a commencement matter. Senator, I know, but we have two minutes to be fair to everybody, and I do not disagree. You are entitled to raise the issue. It is an important issue, but I want to be fair to everybody. I do think, look, these issues have to be aired in public. I agree. We are about to award a contract again for ten years to a company, and if, for example, the current incumbent is part of that ten-year process… Senator, I know, but it is a matter for the commencement. You are over time. You have raised it before. Do I not have an obligation as a public representative to raise these issues? Absolutely, Senator, but you need to use the two minutes. The only place I can do that with safety is in here, because I have been threatened by the department that they… Yes, but you can use the commencement matters. They contact the other people. There are commencement matters. There are other manners in which you can do it. The committee as well. I have done it myself on the Coast Guard Service. They have had hearings on it. They have gone on for five hours. We do not have five hours here. Well, let me put something on the record. Senator. We have been prevented many times in talking about search and rescue. Senator, the issue, I am not preventing you to talk. I am just trying to be fair to everybody. I am trying to be as careful as I can. I am not sure, but there is taking an inch and a mile. I am trying to be measured here. I am trying to be measured here. We have a bill going through the house. Senator. We are not listening to the pilots. We must listen to the pilots. Let we find ourselves down this road again. To put in a commencement matter. To bring it up to the transport. You can bring it up here as long as you can do it in two minutes. Thank you. Or three minutes if they let you lead off tomorrow. Okay. Thank you.