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Value for Money from the Air Corps?

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  • Value for Money from the Air Corps?

    I have read with interest the current thread regarding the garda helicopter and its associated equipment. I'm afraid I hold a pretty poor opinion of our Air Corps as an organisation. I feel that they want to be the sole agency responsible for flying any state aircraft but are not prepared to provide a first class service to the end-users involved. I must exempt from these comments the SAR crews whose bravery is beyond question and who operate 24-7.

    However the complaints of the Gardai seem to me to be very similar to those which are to be heard internally in the Naval Service. Of the number of days which Eithne was at sea how many days was a helo available? How dificult is it to get a CASA on a bank holiday weekend?

    The Naval Service has a similar establishment to the Air Corps but must crew eight ships with crew of around 45+. When you take into account logs and personnel under training and overseas it is not hard to justify these jobs. However the NS had to fight tooth and nail during the Price Waterhouse reviews to keep its manpower levels. How did the AC succeed in doing the same? How many people does the company with the coastguard contract employ? If they get their maintance done by external company then why don't the AC consider this.

    I would be particularly interested to hear hptMurphy's assesment of the performance of the Air Corps in providing a service to L.E. Eithne during his service on the ship and the attitude of AC personnel to being assigned to this duty.

    I have met many fine people from the AC but I feel that the culture of the organisation needs a serious overhaul.
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