Decrease in Defence Forces medical helicopter call-outs in Athlone evident in annual report
Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, TD, has today welcomed the publication of the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Annual Report for 2021.
The Defence Forces Annual Report has revealed that a total of 310 missions were conducted by the medical helicopter last year which was down from 366 in 2020. The total flight time for the completed missions was 382.49 hours.
The Air Corps’ support the HSE’s Emergency Aeromedical Support service operates daily out of Custume Barracks, Athlone. This service provides rapid patient transport to an appropriate facility where the land transit time, given the patient’s condition and its severity, would not be clinically acceptable.
Defence Forces in Athlone clocked up 24 personnel days in total. Their work locally involved searching a sewer system in Athlone between July 12 and July 14, 2021 and aiding the Gardaí in conducting a search of ground in Ballymahon in June last year.
In order to ensure the provision of an important public service and to safeguard in so far as possible that the EAS service continued during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2021, the Air Corps took effective steps to cocoon EAS crew and technicians in Athlone.
The Annual report reviews the performance of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces during 2021 against each of the strategic goals as set out in the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2021 – 2023.
Amongst other work 2021 saw the continuation of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the commencement of the Organisational Capability Review of the Department of Defence which have both since been concluded. The Commission report was finalised in early 2022 and has been the subject of a Government decision agreeing to a High Level Action Plan and the largest increase in defence spending since the foundation of the State. The OCR report and a High Level Implementation Plan have also been considered by Government.
Minister Coveney said: “The Annual Report 2021 for the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces outlines the significant work undertaken by the civil and military personnel of the Defence Organisation in the past year in what was another extraordinary year dominated by Covid-19. The resilience of the Defence Organisation has shown how agile and effective the Organisation is as work continued both at home and overseas without significant disruption.”
Minister Coveney added: “I wish to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the Secretary General and the Chief of Staff and all personnel within the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, both at home and overseas, as well as volunteers in Civil Defence, for their continued hard work and considerable efforts throughout 2021.”
The Secretary General of the Department of Defence, Jacqui McCrum, added:
“Our Annual Report provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the progress that has been made across the broad range of work that the Department has responsibility for, from delivery of the Defence Force Built Infrastructure Programme and the Equipment Development Plan, to negotiating and promoting Ireland’s interests in relation to defence and security initiatives at an EU level. I would like to thank each and every one of our staff for their huge work effort and commitment in what has been another challenging year.
"Following recent Government decisions on the actions arising from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Organisation Capability Review of the Department our attention now turns to working together to deliver on these ambitious transformation agendas.”
The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy commented:
"This Annual Report of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, highlights the extensive range of activities and outputs that the Defence Organisation has undertaken throughout the year and I would like to thank my colleagues in the Department of Defence for their continued collaboration and professionalism. Our shared vision will allow us to grow year on year, so that we remain agile, flexible and adaptive in responding to dynamic changes in the security environment.
"2021 brought unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but I am very proud of the men and women of the Defence Forces, who have played a crucially important role in the shared, national effort. My primary message to all members of the Defence Forces, both permanent and reserve, is one of gratitude and I would like to thank you all for your hard work, effort and commitment, maintaining operations both at home and overseas, while also training and shifting focus to non-military roles, throughout a very demanding year."