Coast Guard chief defends new helicopter amid suitability concern
The director of the Irish Coast Guard has responded to concerns raised about new helicopters which are coming into operation nationally following a change of companies contracted to run the agency's air response.
Bristow Ireland was awarded the ten-year, €160 million, contract in 2023, replacing the previous operator CHC Ireland.
As part of that change, the Coast Guard's current fleet of Sikorsky S92A helicopters is being replaced with the more modern Leonardo AW189. The first such helicopter recently became operational from the Coast Guard's Shannon base.
Several Coast Guard crew members told Prime Time privately that they are concerned that the new helicopters' limitations will make it more difficult for them to perform their duties.
Additionally, former Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds said that he believes the new helicopters will work for search and rescue on the east coast, and off Waterford, but they are less suited to operations off the west coast of Ireland.
The new helicopters have a more limited range and much reduced space in the rear.
In response, director of the Irish Cost Guard, Micheál O'Toole, told Prime Time that the change is a move to "the next generation of Coast Guard helicopter".
"Personally, I come from the west coast, I come from an offshore community, a community that's involved in fishing industry," he said, "so, I am acutely aware of what is the nature and the need for resilience in terms of that service, and I can categorically state that I have full confidence in this platform to deliver for us at those range extremities in which we operate".
The Irish Coast Guard operates six helicopters from bases in Dublin, Sligo, Shannon and Waterford.
Though Bristow Ireland has commenced operations in Shannon, there was a 120-day delay in providing the new search and rescue service, while the transition of the remaining three stations from CHC to Bristow has also been delayed.
Mr O'Toole said that the planned dates which were missed were indicative and that "there's always been an element of flexibility required in timelines."
He also pointed out that there has been an absolute uninterrupted service to Coast Guard services during that period.
In recent weeks, it was also confirmed that the stretcher being used by Bristow on the new helicopter in Shannon is not compliant with regulations for Hospital Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) flights.
It means that while the stretchers can still be used for search and rescue flights, the Shannon station cannot carry patients for HEMS flights if they require a stretcher.
Micheál O'Toole told Prime Time "it has had absolutely no impact in our primary role, which is search and rescue."
"Equally, we have had no reduction in service either in the Search and Rescue category or in terms of our ability to deliver for the National Ambulance Service, and the Health Service Executive, across our other bases. I anticipate in speaking to colleagues in Bristow Ireland this week, that that issue will be resolved very imminently."
Mr O'Toole was also asked about a new Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), and plans to put with in place on the new helicopter.
The FRMS is a requirement that was introduced during the procurement process and allowed the previous operator CHC Ireland to roster crews for 24 hour shifts, using data to monitor fatigue versus risk.
Currently, Bristow Ireland has no FRMS in place and as a result needs to roster two crews for 12 hours each across a 24-hour period in Shannon.
Neither Mr O'Toole nor Bristow Ireland could give a timeframe for when the operator's FRMS would be an approved.
Mr O'Toole said "obviously the optimum is to move to a system where they're able to avail of the most efficient mechanism possible. And we anticipate once Bristol Ireland receives their FRMS approval that will be the case and offer them their efficiencies."
"We are confident and we've been provided with the clarity that they are regulatory compliant, which obviously then implies that this is a safe system of work and that's our key focus."
In a statement to Prime Time, Bristow Ireland said that it is wholly focused on a safe transition of search and rescue operations nationwide and that the process of taking over the remaining bases will conclude by early 2026.
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