Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

These is a lot more than the aircraft, if Deputy Clarke knows what I mean. Much of the expense is in kitting out the aircraft with the kind of equipment to which the Deputy referred, for example, a very advanced camera system that has the capacity not only to search the sea surface but also under the surface of the sea to a considerable depth. I have been asked repeatedly if it really costs nearly €230 million to provide two new CASAs, but it is not just the hull of the aeroplanes but the equipment, in particular, the camera equipment and other search and rescue equipment on them, that is so expensive. They will considerably improve our capacity from an Air Corps and a maritime surveillance perspective, as well as giving us medium-range capacity to carry cargo. The hull of these aeroplanes is significantly longer and bigger than the current CASAs.

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