Transport Minister Noel Dempsey

TRANSPORT minister Noel Dempsey is "not fit to shine the boots" of the Air Corps after snubbing them in the search for a new air-sea rescue service, Fine Gael has claimed.

Party transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd made the comments in relation to a new €500 million contract due to be made available for an air-sea rescue operation in Ireland.

"Minister Dempsey must now allow the Air Corps to attend the Oireachtas transport committee in order to explain whether it would be interested in providing this service," he said. "Because I believe the Air Corps is interested, but has not been asked."