€7.5M Night Vision Plan Very Coastly

 » Big spend on goggles and adapting helicopters  » Staff still not trained to use them 8 years on

- Ferghal Blaney

GOVERNMENT officials have spent almost €7.5million adapting helicopters and buying night vision goggles for Irish Coast Guard night missions that cannot be used.

They are not in operation because crews have not been trained in the special night flying required, eight years after helicopters started being modified.

The issue is now understood to be coming before the Dail’s spending watchdog, the PAC (Public Accounts Committee), as the contract for air-sea rescue is coming up for renewal.

Committee member, Marc MacSharry of Fianna Fail, wants there to be an examination of the last contract to CHC (Canadian Helicopter Corporation) Ireland, as the NVG tech spending was for the choppers they operate on our behalf. The last SAR (Search And Rescue) contract ended up being worth more than €600million over 10 years to the Canadian firm and CHC are tipped to win the next one too.