A senior Air Corps officer has criticised the Government's inaction over the future of the search and rescue helicopter fleet and staffing in general.
Comdt Aidan Flanagan, officer commanding the Air Corps helicopter wing, levelled his criticism at the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, who was at the award ceremony hosted by the Irish Security Industries Association in Dublin yesterday. Comdt Flanagan was receiving the association's premier award on behalf of the Air Corps helicopter wing.
He said the award was particularly welcome at a time when morale in his unit was "not good" as a result of "inaction" which had resulted in many staff leaving to take up posts in the civil sector.
Referring to the loss of four air crew at Tramore, Co Waterford, during a search and rescue mission last July, Comdt Flanagan appealed to the Minister and his Department to make a decision on replacing the Dauphin fleet with medium-lift helicopters suitable for night-time maritime search and rescue. He said he was appealing to the Minister "before it was too late".
Comdt Flanagan said a decision on the re-equipment must take place before the publication of the White Paper on Defence.
Speaking in the Dail recently, the Minister had accepted that the Dauphins would be replaced for search and rescue, but indicated that this would take place in the context of the White Paper on Defence and the implementation plan for the Price Waterhouse review of the Air Corps.
Comdt Flanagan referred to the Department of Defence's recent decision to remove an incentive scheme which had been established to encourage flying officers to remain in the service.
He said he had difficulty in holding on to experienced pilots and he called on the Minister to reintroduce the incentive scheme or another long-term alternative in order to ensure the viability of the Air Corps.
Comdt Flanagan, who succeeded Lieut Col Ken Byrne as head of the helicopter wing during the summer, said it was "unusual for a uniformed member of the Defence Forces to make a public comment". However, he said he did so out of a sense of duty and loyalty to his colleagues.
His predecessor, Lieut Col Byrne, has also spoken out publicly about the issue. In an interview with The Irish Times after his retirement last July, Lieut Col Byrne warned that the Dauphin helicopters did not have the endurance or reserve power for the job required on the south and west coasts.
Asking the air crew to do the job they were required to do with current equipment was similar to "asking the RNLI [Lifeboat Service] to run with 40-foot power boats" in very hostile coastal conditions.
