Coast Guard helicopters to stand down for two hours today amid company takeover

The Irish Coast Guard will carry out a two-hour stand down of its helicopters this afternoon to facilitate meetings between the current contractor, CHC Ireland, and staff members over the transfer of the contract.

Bristow Ireland has been awarded the next Irish Coast Guard search-and-rescue aviation contract from July 2025 onward, and rescue staff are worried about their employment future. It is expected the contract will cost the State €670 million.

Search and rescue bases at Shannon and Dublin will be offline from 12pm to 1pm on Friday, while Sligo and Waterford will be offline from 1pm until 2pm.

Two helicopters will be online for the duration of the safety stand down.

CHC Ireland said the stand down was due to the lack of confirmation over continuity of employment, which has led to elevated levels of stress among staff.

Rob Tatten, the director of operations at CHC 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."

In June, CHC Ireland filed legal proceedings against the Government’s tendering process for the service, saying it was challenging the validity of the process.