The Minister for Transport has "accepted in full" 12 recommendations made by an external review into Ireland's aviation search and rescue operations.

Speaking as the report was officially published this morning, Minister Shane Ross he asked for "all necessary steps be taken without delay" to ensure the recommendations are implemented in a speedy manner.

The report found "confusion" and "potential conflicts of interest" between the different agencies involved in the management of air-based search and rescue in Ireland.

“I fully accept the findings and recommendations of this comprehensive review of search and rescue aviation oversight by a team of international experts, which I appointed at end May," he said.

"I have instructed that all necessary steps be taken without delay to ensure speedy implementation of all of the recommendations. 

"We now have an opportunity in Ireland - and a blueprint – to make meaningful improvement to our current oversight structures and in doing so set a benchmark for other jurisdictions.”

The Government commissioned the review at the request of the Air Accident Investigation Unit, as a follow on from its investigation into the Rescue 116 crash that took the lives of four Coast Guard officers in Mayo in March 2017.

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy and winch operators Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith all died after the helicopter went down off Blackrock Island on March 14th.

The review did not examine the circumstances of the crash itself and the authors warned that there is no intention to establish any causal link between their findings and the accident.

The external review saw a "team of external, international experts" carrying out interviews with all the agencies involved in aviation search and rescue.

The researchers interviewed representatives from the Department of Transport, The Irish Coast guard, The Irish Aviation Authority and helicopter leasing firm CHC Ireland.

They also examined State documents and reviews of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

They found "several sources of confusion and potential conflicts of interest" amongst the agencies and warned that  this has resulted in a "lack of a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities" in the oversight of rescue operations.

Minister Ross said the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) must be allowed to continue its investigation into the Rescue 116 crash unimpeded.

“Whilst I understand the on-going public interest in this matter, it is vital that the AAIU is given the time and space to complete its work and report on its findings," he said.

"As such, I am not in position to comment further on the issues surrounding it.”