New air/sea rescue service for southeast

The Government is to replace the Air Corps air/sea rescue base at Waterford with a 24-hour medium-lift helicopter service run by private contract.

The decision, which was announced in the Dail yesterday by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, comes 19 months after the fatal Dauphin helicopter crash in Tramore, Co Waterford, in which four Air Corps pilots and crew lost their lives.

The crew were returning from the first rescue mission at night after the base had been upgraded to 24-hour cover by Mr Fahey's predecessor, Dr Michael Woods.

Since then, there have been repeated calls to restore 24-hour cover in the south-east.