Last week, during Questions on Promised Legislation, I emphasised to the Tánaiste the need to ensure that Sligo Airport in Strandhill is included in the new tender as one of the bases for search and rescue services. At that time, the pre-tender notification stated a minimum of three bases. In his response he said: "I can say what we expect to be the outcome." He also said that the outcome would be that there will continue to be four bases and he named Sligo as one of them but he also said that there is a contractual process under way. Since then, things have changed and a Cabinet decision last Monday reported that there would now be four bases. I ask the Tánaiste to outline if the tender now specifies or will specify the existing four bases, inclusive of Sligo. If not, is Sligo specifically mentioned?

I thank the Deputy. I have not seen the tender documents so I am not sure if they have been prepared yet but my understanding of the Government decision is that there will be four bases. The four bases are named as the existing bases of Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin.