http://www.southernstar.ie/article.php?id=2193
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Minister out of favour with Irish Air Corps
By Archon Saturday August 28th, 2010LET’S hope Transport Minister Noel Dempsey securely fastens the aircraft door the next time he cadges a ride with the Irish Air Corps. He’s not their flavour of the month.
In fact, to describe him as the most arrogant and out of touch politico among the nincompoops who govern us would strike a cord with our long-suffering aviators.
You see, Dempsey on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard (which in itself is a component of the Department of Transport) has leased a fleet of Sikorsky S-92 search and rescue aircraft in a ten-year €500 million deal with a Canadian syndicate called CHC Helicopters. The syndicate will make their helicopters available 24 hours a day for maritime emergencies at bases in Shannon, Sligo, Dublin and Waterford.
The deal, however, got up the nose of Air Corps people who believed they had the capability and experience to provide Search and Rescue (SAR) cover. The Air Corps, however, was never asked to cost a SAR service, even though the new Dempsey deal with CHC Helicopters more than doubled in price from previous years.
Last May, ex-Brigadier General John O’Brien wrote to the Minister seeking a meeting. He wanted to make the case for renewed Air Corps involvement in emergency operations, and he proposed splitting the Search and Rescue service between the Air Corps and the Canadian company.
Acknowledging that a small amount of modification of the Air Corps top-of-the-range AW-139 helicopters would be required, he argued that a project involving the Air Corps was value for money since it would be providing cover at two of the four bases. The cost to the taxpayer would be almost half of that charged by CHC Helicopters. As well, continuity of service would be guaranteed and the State would not be dependent on one private operator.
The Brigadier General had a point. After all, the Defence Forces’ maritime search and rescue service did the nation proud for more than 40 years — until 2004 when the Air Corps lost the contract following an outbreak of ‘blue flu’ (a form of industrial protest the Gardaí had perfected).
The then Defence Minister, Michael Smith, punished the Air Corps for their bolshie behaviour with a spiteful ‘up yours’ and invited CHC Helicopters to carry out all of the Air Corps SAR tasks. Once the multi-nationals got their foot in the door, they never left.
VALUE FOR MONEY?
Minister Dempsey refused to meet Brig General O’Brien, saying that Air Corps involvement was not an option. The distinguished ex-aeronaut was told there was ‘little point in discussing the matter further’ or, in un-parliamentary language, he was encouraged to get stuffed.
At that point, the Opposition jumped in. They claimed the latest contract with CHC did not provide value for money but Dempsey totally ignored their concerns. Nor did he see any relevance in the Fine Gael argument that there was a need for greater scrutiny on the basis that the British government had suspended their own search and rescue contract with a group involving CHC because it was costing too much.
Fine Gael have now called on Dempsey to publish the financial advice he got on the deal. They might as well be banging their heads against a hangar door.
NO ROLE?
Meanwhile, a Dublin magazine has highlighted the fact that the CHC contract marks a significant shift in Irish defence policy. CHC will continue to have responsibility for delivering fire teams, doctors and paramedics to ships in distress but they also will assist rescue teams in remote areas and provide emergency services for island communities in flood or snow crises.
With the company’s Sikorsky S-92 aircraft moving into maritime surveillance, an area of operations hitherto exclusive to the Air Corps and the Naval Service, CHC will be photographing and assessing marine pollution, as well as contributing evidence for prosecution and attending court if required. The Air Corps Casa long-range fixed wing planes, operating from Baldonnel, previously did this work.
Indeed, the question arises if the Air Corps will have any future role at all in the provision of emergency services now that Dempsey has ‘civilianised’ almost all its traditional functions — other than that of a ‘Ministerial Air Transport Service’ (in other words the politicos’ air taxi service).
Whatever about crumbling morale, at least Air Corps technicians have the chance of parachuting into better things. Qatar, the oil-rich Arab state, is attempting to poach Irish technicians to work on its large fleet of AW-139 helicopters, which are renown for high standards of performance and state-of-the-art cockpit technology.
Ironically, while the Irish Air Corps was the first military force in the world to use the AW-139, Dempsey apparently thinks they’re bummers for emergency missions and has opted for the CHC Sikorskys. Yet, Qatar has no problem using the AW-139 for Search-and-Rescue operations. Nor have the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia and Japan.
Offering lucrative inducements, the Arabs are believed to have enticed several highly experienced Air Corps people to head for warmer climes. Thanks to Dempsey, more are expected to follow.
EYES RIGHT
Handing traditional Air Corps operations over to civilians is one thing but what about a full-scale military inspection of Irish troops carried out at Collins Barracks by a Swedish officer, Brigadier General Jan Stephan Andersson?
The event happened some months ago when the Swede travelled to Cork to see if ‘his troops’ (the Paddies will be under his command) were up to scratch for October’s warfare training exercises in Sweden.
The lads will be part of the EU Nordic Battle group, ostensibly established for EU ‘humanitarian’ missions and ‘crisis management’ but increasingly perceived as falling within the remit of a joint EU/NATO command.
A furious Workers’ Party City councillor, Ted Tynan, said: ‘We had it rammed down our throats that Irish neutrality was not at stake in both the Nice and Lisbon Treaty referendums. Now we learn that Irish soldiers are to undertake warfare training and we have the sight of a foreign military commander inspecting Irish troops on Irish soil in Cork city’!
Indeed, one wonders if there is any point at all in maintaining an €800 million a year national Defence Force? Why not hand over the entire lot to the foreigners?
STYLE IS THE MAN!
And what about Dan Linehan’s fascinating picture in the Evening Echo of the Rt Hon Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell inspecting a spic and span naval guard of honour at Haulbowline?
The €90,000 a year First Citizen brought new tenets of haute couture to military inspections with his promotion of the natural look: comfortably creased jacket, baggy un-ironed pants, and shoes remarkable for their unpolished elegance. It was so casual a style that there’s no category for it! Well done, Mr Mayor.
