Rescue 117 will stay in Waterford.
The Department of Transport says the tender will be amended to include the four bases at Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford.
Fine Gael TD for Wexford Paul Kehoe TD confirmed the news on his facebook page earlier today, that the Waterford base for the rescue lifeguard helicopter will continue, as well as the other three locations in Shannon, Sligo, and Dublin.
With the contract for the services out for tender, there were fears that the bases could be changed by whatever private company won the tender process, which - under European regulations - would give them the right to relocate the bases for all four rescue helicopters to wherever they saw fit.
Last week Tánaiste Leo Varadkar moved to reassure those in the affected areas that the government was 'confident' that the bases wouldn't be moved, but added that there was a contractual process still underway and nothing was set in stone.
However, the news announced today by Deputy Kehoe will be a relief for many across the areas, with politicians and campaigners lobbying the government for the past number of weeks to keep the service at its base in Waterford Airport, just outside the city.
Speaking to Beat News, Waterford Senator John Cummins says it's postive news for the South East:
"Government colleagues have approved at cabinet this morning the inclusion of four specified bases in the upcoming tender document that;s going issued for search and rescue services for the country, and that they'll be the four named existing bases.
"Obviously it's really positive news fo Waterford and the South-East, and all the communities that Rescue 117 provide an excellent service to."
