Perhaps FG transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd is not aware of the incident some years ago when a fishing trawler went aground in a gale on the south-west coast of Ireland, and the Air Corps, who held the air-sea rescue contract at the time, declined to take to the air on the grounds that there were 12 men on the trawler, while the chopper had capacity for only 10?

The Naval Service went to help and succeeded in performing the rescue, even though the Bo's'un of the rescue launch was washed overboard and drowned.

The grounded trawler was less than a mile from the pier.

The contract was subsequently awarded to a private operator.

I believe that Mr O'Dowd owes Minister Dempsey an apology.

Tom Loughran,

Co Meath