Senator Gerard Craughwell- speech from 25 Jan 2022

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. 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. 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. Gerard Crockwell, this morning, and I'm really sorry to say this to you and I hope you understand. I can't accept the amendment today only because I can't get anybody today. I've secured, in the time that you've raised the issue this morning, and Senator Keoghan proposed it first, I've secured a debate for next Wednesday on the search and rescue tender, but I've also instructed that without having the business case in your hands before the debate, the debate is fruitless. And on that end, I've extended the navigation bill in order to get the minister here for the afternoon. So if you could accept that I will have that next Wednesday, but not without the business case, which definitely has been altered on the basis of the announcement that was made for cabinet this morning. So I think we all need to see it. And I'm surprised that the Oireachtas Committee on Transport hasn't received it yet, given that they had requested it. So I hope that that suffices and that we'll have the debate next week. But you're absolutely dead right. If nothing else, you have the passion to keep bringing something that you care about to this House and to everybody's attention every week. And I have no doubt, whether you're right or you're wrong, that your bona fides will be appreciated by the end of this. And please God it will be.