Matt Shanahan calls for 24/7 fixed-wing rescue and funds for Waterford
Matt Shanahan addressed the minister on the R116 report and Airsea Rescue Service, urging immediate investment in a 24-7 fixed-wing aircraft and criticising the withdrawal of promised funding for Waterford Airport. He extended condolences to the families of recent and past air rescue fatalities and demanded clarity on equipment approvals and regulatory standards.
Condolences and remembrance
He offered sympathies to the families of Captain Darrell Fitzpatrick, Chief Pilot Mark Duffy, Winch Operator Paul Ormsby and Winchman Ciaran Smith, and recalled four Air Corps members of Rescue 111 who died in Waterford in 1999. He described all as courageous people who risked and ultimately gave their lives to help others.
Call for a national 24-7 fixed-wing capability
He argued that the R116 report shows specific measures are now required and said the State needs to invest in a new 24-7 available fixed-wing aircraft to be based in Dublin or Shannon to operate nationally. He said sporadic Air Corps top cover is no longer sufficient and that a fixed-wing asset could provide sustained on-scene top cover, support marine pollution monitoring and improve patient transfer capability to the UK.
Regulatory guidance and night vision equipment
He urged the Irish Aviation Authority to adopt a management reference such as the UK Civil Aviation Authority's CAP 999 to guide search and rescue procedures and manuals. He also highlighted that night vision goggles are being rolled out across the search and rescue fleet but are currently approved only for HEMS operations, asking the minister to explain the delay and when approval will extend to all search and rescue activity.
Funding dispute over Waterford Airport and Rescue 117
He criticised the department for reneging on a commitment to provide stop-cap funding of €350,000 per annum to Waterford Airport, the home of Rescue 117, at a time when €126 million has been announced for other regional airports. He called the decision hypocritical, said the withdrawal dishonours Waterford Rescue 117 personnel and referenced recent bravery honours for Rescue 117's March 2021 Kerry rescue assisted by the service's only female winchman, Miss Sarah Courtney.
Accountability, implementation and remediation
He said investigative reports on R116 must lead to acknowledgement of mistakes and visible remedial actions so lessons are learned and similar tragedies are prevented. He urged that planned implementation of recommendations bring comfort and closure to families and those who operate in the Airsea Rescue Service.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Minister, at the outset I would like to extend sympathies to the family of Captain Darrell Fitzpatrick, Chief Pilot Mark Duffy, Winch Operator Paul Ormsby and Winchman Ciaran Smith. I also want to remember the four Air Corps members of Rescue 111 who lost their lives in Waterford in 1999, Captains Dave O'Flaherty and Mick Baker, Sergeant Paddy Mooney and Corporal Nile Byrne, also as a result of a tragic air accident. All courageous people who risked their lives and ultimately gave them to help others in significant and perilous danger. The R116 report clearly shows that specific measures are needed now to ensure that Airsea Rescue Service is properly supported into the future. The State, in my opinion, needs to invest now in a new 24-7 available fixed-wing aircraft to be based in Dublin or Shannon and to operate on a national basis. Sporadic availability of Air Corps top cover aircraft is no longer sufficient to the task, as this report has shown. Such an aircraft could provide top cover support on scene for extended operational hours and assist the monitoring of marine pollution, as well as provide a much needed patient transfer capability across the island and to the UK. The Irish Aviation Authority also needs to adopt a management reference, such as the UK Civil Aviation Authority's CAP 999 document, which assists organisations in determining procedures and operational guidance manuals for search and rescue helicopter service and missions. Night vision goggles are presently being deployed across the search and rescue fleet and yet they are solely approved for HEMS operations. Will you update the House Minister why this delay and when the approval will issue for night vision goggles to be used in all search and rescue aircraft activity? Captain Dara Fitzpatrick had a very close association with Waterford's Rescue 117 service. She was a chief pilot there for many years and has many friends in Waterford. She had a service, the R117 service is a service recently distinguished by the awarding of bravery honours by her own Ciancola for the rescue of seven crew members from a sinking ship off the Kerry coast in March 2021 this year. Dara would have revelled in that rescue mission being assisted by the only female winchman in the National Service, Miss Sarah Courtney. With reference to Rescue 117 service from Waterford, perhaps you would make comment as to why your department is now reneging on a commitment to provide stop-cap funding of €350,000 per annum to Waterford Airport, the home of Rescue 117. While this airport awaits planning permission for a new runway extension. This reneging comes at a time when you have announced €126 million to support all other regional airports. The hypocrisy being shown by government here in failing to support our secure Waterford Airport and its Rescue 117 helicopter services breathtaking minister, in light of this €126 million funding announcement. In my opinion, the withdrawal of Waterford Airport service and monies dishonours those in our Waterford Rescue Base 117 service who provide life-saving assistance to the south-east population from Waterford Airport each and every day. I hope that the investigative reports on R116 and the planned implementation of recommendations can bring some comfort and some closure to the families involved and to all those with loved ones who operate in the Airsea Rescue Service. Regarding 116, mistakes have been identified. They must now be fully acknowledged and rectified. Remediating action must be plain for everyone to see involved in the Airsea Rescue Service so that some good can come from this tragedy so that it can ensure it will never happen again. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
