Senator Gerard Craughwell- speech from 25 Jan 2022
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Transcript
I would like to second the amendment to the order of business proposed by Senator Keoghan. I was delighted today to hear that the Rescue 117 in Waterford has been saved and we now have four SAR bases guaranteed by government in the country and that's welcome and I want to thank all of the members of this house and the lower house who got behind that campaign to ensure that we kept four helicopters. Now I've asked for the business case behind this to be released on a number of occasions and this is part of the reason why we asked for this debate in this house. The Air Corps were assessed as providing one base in the country and in order to provide that base they were expected to have three helicopters rather than five for four bases. They were expected to be available 100% of the time rather than 95% of the time. They were expected to fund spare parts at 60% of a premium on that which would be charged to a commercial supplier. The fixed wing element, I can see absolutely no reason why the Irish Air Corps would not provide the fixed wing element but it looks very much like we're going to have a fixed wing element provided from the UK. And that aircraft will be flying with sophisticated surveillance technology on board across Ireland. That just doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense. Now in agreeing today to have four helicopters for SAR or four helicopter bases we have now totally altered the business case that was put together to form the PQQ in the first place. In addition to that they have added on the HELOS the firefighting equipment after the business case was put together. Everything about this is shambolic. Everything about it is just, it seems to be making up as you go along. I believe it is vitally important that we get the business case published, that we have an open debate in this house. It is not the minister or any politician that is making these decisions and sadly politicians are losing the plot when it comes to civil servants taking major decisions. A billion euros over 10 years. I really think we need this open. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you very much for your time.