The east coast had no 24-hour air-sea rescue cover on six days in the past month, due to a combination of Air Corps crew shortages and sick leave. The Defence Forces press office has also confirmed there was no night-time cover from Baldonnel Aerodrome on a seventh day.
This is in spite of a commitment to a 24-hour east coast search and rescue (SAR) service, given that 20 million people cross the Irish Sea every year.
The departure of Air Corps winchmen to the commercial company, Bond Helicopters, is cited as one of the main reasons for the shortage of crew. Bond Helicopters has been awarded a Government contract to run the east coast service from Dublin Airport next July. However, sick leave and commitments to the new Garda air wing have also been cited as reasons. The Defence Forces press office says the Garda helicopter has a dedicated crew which is not assigned to SAR and does not require winchmen.
A claim by the Defence Forces' representative association, PDFORRA, that Air Corps numbers are to be almost halved in the Price Waterhouse review of the Naval Service and Air Corps has been dismissed as "rubbish" by the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith. The Air Corps' general officer commanding, Brig -Gen Patrick Cranfield, also dismissed the claims when he attended an inspection in Baldonnel yesterday. He said the review was expected to be published shortly.
However, in an unprecedented demonstration of low morale, some 65 members of staff requested meetings with Brig Cranfield yesterday. This was on foot of a communication issued by PDFORRA's Air Corps regional committee, informing members that the total strength of all ranks in the reformed Air Corps was to drop by 350 to 550 personnel.
It is understood that the still unpublished Price Waterhouse review recommends a cut of some 170 Air Corps staff, mainly in the technical area, and an increase of 100 in Naval Service personnel.
A "skeleton" air-sea rescue service is now being provided by the Air Corps at Baldonnel and at Finner camp in south Donegal.
The lack of 24-hour cover on the east coast was highlighted in November 1995, when a fisherman died off Howth harbour and there was no Air Corps helicopter available. Ironically, the drip-feed from the Air Corps to commercial airlines has strengthened the Government's hand to tender out air-sea rescue.
