Re: questions around lack of NVG etc, there is a tender request in the EU Journal at present for third-party heli-SAR consultancy to the Irish Coastguard to liaise between them and CHC and to advise on matters of contractual adherence, future strategy, regulation, practices and equipment.
The CHC contract is currently at its mid-point so it makes sense to start looking forward to the next big supply tender. However I do wonder if it will move back from private sector to a more integrated state-provided package. The 2012 contract award was controversial at the time and will be no less so in five years.