The Garda's new air wing has officially taken off, 16 years after a minister for justice first deemed it a priority. Yesterday, the force proudly showed off the new Squirrel helicopter and Defender aircraft which make up the Garda Air Support Unit, both piloted and maintained by Air Corps personnel but under the operational control of the Garda and its observers on board.
The two aircraft, bought for £5.5 million, are to be used mainly for surveillance and pursuit operations. They can fly in bad weather and at night - both are equipped with thermal imaging (heat-seeking) cameras and video equipment, allowing them to see suspects or speeding cars in the dark.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, and the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, took a short flight in the helicopter yesterday from the unit's base at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.
The aircraft were bought by the last government, although it was in 1982 that the then minister, Mr Sean Doherty, vigorously promoted the idea of a Garda air wing.
The helicopter is a French-manufactured AS355N Eceuriel (hence "Squirrel"). Apart from its cameras, it carries a powerful "night sun" searchlight capable of illuminating a football pitch.
The Squirrel is to be kept at instant readiness for use mainly around the capital. Crews say they can "scramble" within three minutes, and the helicopter has three hours' air time at its most efficient speed before refuelling.
The Defender 4000, from the British manufacturer Pilatus-Britten Norman, takes longer to get in the air but can stay there for over eight hours. It is expected to be used mainly outside Dublin.
Both aircraft have radio equipment for direct communication with patrol cars or officers on the ground. Their main function is likely to be conducting quick searches after an incident, and directing pursuits. Aircrews say car chases should be less dangerous once an aircraft is watching the quarry, because pursuing patrol cars will be able to "hang back" while the air unit directs other Garda cars to intercept.
A Garda observer said yesterday that police in British cities have found the duration of a car chase can depend on whether the criminals have learned how long it takes the police helicopter to get over the scene.
"We've been told we might find after a while that a pursuit near our base will only last three minutes, but out on the other aside of the city, in Malahide or somewhere like that, they'll know they have about six minutes before we're above them," he said.