The Department of Transport has signed a contract with Bristow Ireland Limited to provide for the next Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) Service and Rescue Aviation Service. The Department and the Irish Coast Guard said they look forward to working closely with Bristow Ireland Limited as it provides a range of essential state services under the new aviation service contract. These will include Maritime and Inland Search and Rescue, Environmental Monitoring, Helicopter Emergency Medical and Air Ambulance Services, with enhanced mission control and communications systems.
Under the new contract, Bristow Ireland Limited will operate six AW189 helicopters from four dedicated bases in Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin Weston Airport. For the first time, the Coast Guard’s aviation service will also have fixed-wing aircraft capability available on a 24/7 basis to support the delivery of these essential services. In an expansion to the current aviation service for the Coast Guard, two King Air fixed-wing aircraft based at Shannon Airport will provide support for Coast Guard search & rescue operations and environmental monitoring.
The new contract will run for 10 years in the case of the helicopter service and five years in the case of the fixed-wing aircraft element of the service, with options to extend both elements out to 13 years. The contract makes provision for the possibility of the Air Corps assuming responsibility for the fixed-wing element of the service after five years. The new IRCG aviation service will be introduced by Bristow Ireland Limited gradually on a phased basis and will be fully operational by July 2025.
CHC Ireland Safety Stand Down
Meanwhile, on the morning of 8th September, CHC Ireland announced a Safety Stand down for their 4 AWSAR (All Weather Search and Rescue) Bases in Sligo, Shannon, Dublin and Waterford from 12 pm to 2 pm on Friday.
In a statement, they said that “due to increased concern for the health and wellbeing of CHC staff following the awarding of the SAR contract to Bristow Ireland Ltd, commencing in July 2025, all 4 bases will be offline from 12 to 2 pm today. A reduced service will be available during this time.”
The statement went on to say that the lack of confirmation regarding continuity of employment, under TUPE Regulations, for CHC staff has led to elevated levels of stress amongst staff and therefore the Safety Stand Down is necessary at this time.
Rob Tatten, CHC Director of Operations and Accountable Manager Ireland said: “It is incumbent on us to protect the safety and wellbeing of our staff. By taking this necessary measure we can ensure that we continue to operate safely, without outside distractions and remain focused on the life-saving work we do for The Irish Coast Guard”
