Senator Gerard Craughwell- speech from 13 Jul 2021

Leader, I have been blue in the face over the last 12 or 18 months speaking about the search and rescue contract. That contract is likely to go to tender over the summer so this is probably the last attempt I will have to say anything on it. We were told in 2010 by Minister Noel Dempsey that Ireland had signed a contract to get a fleet of new Sikorsky S92s. In 2014, Minister Faradkar announced that the new helicopter which comes at retail price of £40 million each are being leased as part of the package for CHC helicopters. We did not get new helicopters. We got two that were built in 2006 and two that were built in 2007 and one that was built in 2011. Did we pay for new helicopters? I believe the question I am asking is legitimate. I have also asked questions with respect to neonatal transfers. Part of the Future Helicopters Study Group was to provide transfers for the HSE. One of the most crucial of those is neonatal. That is not available today with the S92s. The Coast Guard at the time the contract was being put together said the Air Corps' AW139s were not suitable for search and rescue operations and that no money could be saved by putting the Air Corps into the role. Augusta Westland, the manufacturers of the 139, Geoff Russell told the Sunday Independent that the headline in the paper saying the Air Corps was not equipped to provide rescue services was misleading. He said it did not help any government to make decisions on search and rescue services if such an important decision was made with incomplete or inaccurate information. This might explain why I have constantly pursued this issue. The issue of night vision goggles. The junior minister at the Department of Transport informed me only a few days ago that the reason why the goggles were not in use was the training wasn't yet completed. They got the hardware eight years ago, Minister. Finally, the question of the contract that was signed in 2012 with CHC. CHC had been suspended from search and rescue where they were the preferred bidder with others in 2011 in the UK. Why? Because the consortium members, CHC Helicopter, had commercially sensitive information regarding the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Transport. Now, I have had three letters, two from ministers and one a copy sent to me from Mr. Ken Spratt, the Secretary General of the Department of Transport. And in all three letters, I am threatened. They tell me that they, as professionals, the companies involved that they contacted to tell them what I was saying, will not take any action at this time. Now, what sort of relationship has the government got with a private contractor when they are contacting, when ministers are contracting contractors to tell them what I say in this house? It is absolutely outrageous. It suggests a relationship which is repugnant to any sort of public procurement. We have had ministers visit search and rescue sites in Dublin, repugnant to any procurement process. I have said from the outset, this process needs to be examined fully before it goes ahead. Now, the chances are when we go on recess, this procedure will go ahead and we won't be able to speak about it again. Senator, your time is up. But by God, I promise you this much, I will follow this to hell for as long as I am in this house. Senator. And if I find something is rotten at the bottom of it, I will expose it. Senator, your time is up. And leader, I just, finally, I want to thank the Kohirluk. Senator. And I want to thank yourself, leader and the staff of the Shannads, as we head into the summer recess. Thank you. You have been a very good leader and very responsive to anything I have asked of you. And I wish you well for the summer. And the same with the Kohirluk and the staff. Thank you. Senator. And his staff. Anish. Thank you.