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

I will give the Deputy my answer and I am not sure if it is what the Deputy is looking for but I will come back with supplementary responses and perhaps clarify if she has further questions. The military air doctrine dates back to before the commission but I will put a number of things on the record and I will try to ensure that I answer the Deputy's questions then, if I can.

The Defence Forces Capstone Doctrine was published in 31 March 2016. This Capstone Doctrine is published in support of the objectives of the White Paper on Defence and provides a common framework for all components of the Defence Forces engaged in military operations in accordance with Government’s defence policy. It is vertically nested under the White Paper on Defence 2015. It articulates the principles which underpin how the Defence Forces go about their work, while giving guidance on many of the key concepts that drive the approach to military operations in the complex operational environments of the twenty-first century.

Currently, the White Paper on Defence 2015 and the 2019 update are the principal drivers of doctrine at the policy level which may evolve as the State progresses the implementation of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces report. The Defence Forces also have a standardisation strategy that seeks to develop and implement, inter alia, doctrine, to achieve and maintain the most effective levels of interoperability at the national and international level in the fields of operations, materiel and administration.

Doctrine in the Air Corps is underwritten by the White Paper on Defence and the 2019 update, the Capstone Doctrine, and standardisation strategies. It is expressed through subordinate publications including Defence Forces Regulation CS.8 and the air regulation manuals. These are continually reviewed and updated and will require ongoing development in light of structural changes arising from the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces report, and the appointment of an independent military aviation regulator, both of which are under consideration at this time.

The Air Corps is, furthermore, currently engaged in a Defence Forces project that is working to develop joint doctrine across the whole of the Defence Forces. Military air doctrine is an essential part of this process. I have given the Deputy something of a history lesson there but I can answer some of the direct questions in respect of the commission.

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