Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness and Cllr. Catherine Burke have raised concerns regarding the future capacity of the Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) service currently operating out of Waterford Airport.
The Government recently engaged a new contractor to operate the SAR service across the state.
Deputy McGuinness said:
“The Government has very serious questions to answer about the potential downgrading of the Waterford-based service in light of the recent change in operator.
“We all remember the underhand attempt by the last Government to exclude Waterford as a base in the tender documents for the new contract. Ultimately a broad-based community campaign and cross-party political action forced a U-turn.
“It now seems that the service could be downgraded by the backdoor.
“Concerns have been expressed that the Waterford base may be off-service for an extended time during the transfer from old contractor to new, and that the service may not be operational 24/7 on its return.
“There are also concerns regarding retention of current personnel as part of the transfer and the impact his could have on operability.
“I have asked the Minister what plans are in place to engage with staff, to monitor the new operator’s performance. I have also asked the Minister to give a commitment that the service will remain based in Waterford and continue to operate on a 24/7 basis.”
Cllr Catherine Burke explained that there is a litany of other concerns that have yet to be addressed, including in relation to the aircraft the new operator is proposing to use.
Cllr Burke said:
“I am aware of concerns that the new operators may have reduced capacity, and may not be ready to provide the service as it currently stands.
“The Coast Guard staff need to be assured that their employment is secure. These are highly skilled personnel that require job security.
“The Minister must answer these questions and ensure that there is no degrading of the SAR service available from Waterford Airport.
“This may prove to be another attempt to do away with the Search and Rescue base at Waterford Airport. The last attempt failed because communities all across the South East stood together. The value and necessity of this service is well understood amongst communities up and down the Waterford coast.”
ENDS
Conor D. McGuinness TD 