RESCUE 117 TO BE RETAINED IN WATERFORD

The Department of Transport is to amend tender requirements relating to the procurement process for a new Coast Guard aviation service.

News of the tender amendment follows the concerns raised regarding a possible loss of Rescue 117’s service base at Waterford Airport.

Originally, the tender offered rise for concern as there are currently four helicopter bases in operation, one of those being in Waterford, however, the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), which was published by the Department on 20 December 2021 was only for three helicopter bases.

The matter was discussed at a recent Plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council in which it was unanimously agreed that a letter would be issued by Mayor Joe Kelly to the various Oireachtas members, government leaders and other councils in the region, outlining the need to ensure that the Rescue 117 service was retained in Waterford.

At the time, the requirement of Rescue 117 along the Waterford coast was noted, as well as their work on search and rescue missions in nearby mountain ranges, and along the Cork and Wexford coastlines also.

On Tuesday, January 25, it was announced that the PQQ will be amended to specify the number and location of Search and Rescue (SAR) bases to reflect the existing configuration, namely four bases at Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford.

The amendment will ensure the delivery of wider Government policies concerning balanced and even distribution of State services and investment, particularly the needs of island and rural communities.

The continuation of the current base configuration will reinforce the Coast Guard’s capability to meet its obligations in the National SAR Plan, the National Oil/ HNS Contingency Plan, and its capacity to support other State agencies, in particular inland SAR support to An Garda Síochána and provision of Air Ambulance services to HSE, including day and night support to the island communities.