Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on the implications of reduced capacity at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel caused by a reduction in staff. [31320/25]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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There is a great deal of concern at the moment regarding the situation at Baldonnel. The recent departure of some air traffic control personnel is resulting in a significant reduction in the capacity of Baldonnel, with consequent significant implications for Government aircraft and Air Corps aircraft and, more widely, for sea rescue and so on.

I am seeking an update on the situation and how the Minister intends to resolve it.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this important matter. It provides me with an opportunity to set out the position and the immediate steps that I and the Government have taken to ensure that air traffic control services operating at Baldonnel are restored to full service.

Initial indications from the military authorities were received by my Department in May on the likelihood of challenges in regard to service provision. Since then, significant engagement has taken place and a number of immediate actions have been identified. This week I sought and secured Government approval for the following measures: the introduction with immediate effect of a service commitment scheme for air traffic control personnel; new entry options to air traffic control service, namely a direct entry option; new promotion opportunities within the service; and outsourcing of aspects of the training provided. All of these individual actions are now being actioned and are aimed at ensuring that existing personnel and indeed those known to be considering leaving the service are incentivised to remain in the service. These actions build on other specific measures that have been introduced, including the provision of a mentor in provision of air traffic control and the introduction of a bespoke air traffic control cadetship competition in 2024 which has been advertised again this year. The actions pursued are aimed at delivering an ongoing stream of qualified people to fill vacancies as they arise. I assure the Deputy that I am firmly resolved to ensure minimum disruption to services. My officials are also actively engaged with their Air Corps colleagues in securing additional resources, including from external service providers, to ensure all avenues are being examined.

Looking to the longer term, I advised Cabinet this week of my intention to conduct a peer review of how our air traffic control services are provided as compared with how other militaries provide similar services. There is a worldwide shortage of air traffic controllers. We have seen pinch points like this before. It is important that we learn from how other militaries are addressing similar challenges.

I thank the Chief of Staff for working with me closely on this. I was asked to get that service commitment scheme in place with immediate effect. We have done that this week and I now expect people to get on with it.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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A couple of issues were raised there. We discussed the issue of service commitment levels in our last session. It reflects the fact that this is an issue across a number of areas in the Defence Forces for specialist personnel. There is severe competition with the private sector. It appears to have hit a particular pinch point in Baldonnel. This is the home of the Air Corps. It is the most important military aerospace facility in the State and it is, in effect, operating nine to five. Former TD Cathal Berry, our erstwhile colleague, identified this as a perfect example of a single point of failure with the potential to cause the entire operation to end. The entire basis of functioning of the Air Corps is challenged by this. In addition, he and others flagged that this issue has been brought to the attention of the Air Corps, of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces more generally for some time now. When was the first recommendation made to the Government regarding a service level commitment for air traffic controllers?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The service commitment scheme has been referenced for a number of years, from my recollection, and it is no more than my recollection. I believe it might have surfaced around 2021 in a list of recommendations but I am open to correction on that year. Generally, the way of progressing these issues is through local bargaining. In fairness, the Deputy will recognise that normally the Department of public expenditure and reform would say to go through the local bargaining, there is a pot of funding there and the issues should be worked out. In light of the importance of the issues highlighted and as this is our national military airfield, we have decided to act outside of local bargaining. These decisions are very rarely taken outside of normal public sector pay processes. We are doing that because of the immediacy of it.

I want to say two things to try to reassure people. I was told by military leadership that if we got this in place, it would make a very real difference in ensuring that people who had been considering leaving will stay. Therefore, I expect significant restoration of services at Baldonnel very quickly. Contingency arrangements have been put in place with other agencies. I want people, including bad actors, to know that there are measures in place to ensure that there are contingency arrangements.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Local bargaining seems to be the solution to a lot of things and I am not sure how far that 1% is going to stretch to fix all of those issues. It seems to me that this was allowed to get beyond the eleventh hour before it was addressed. This is in the context of people talking about the need to take issues around defence seriously, yet it was allowed to escalate to the position of the national airfield functioning nine to five, and struggling to do so, as far as I understand.

At what stage does the Minister believe full cover will be restored such that aircraft will be able to land outside the hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.? There is a potential issue in the medium run with regard to the EU Presidency and the need for defence cover for Heads of State arriving here and so on. Has the Minister any concerns regarding the implications of this for helicopter emergency medical service support, particularly on the west coast and Shannon?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On the latter point, I do not. I have been assured that contingency arrangements are in place. The Deputy is right about how we need to look more at the pinch points in our Defence Forces in general, and I will come back to this in a moment.

I expect significant restoration of services at Baldonnel to happen very rapidly. I expect that to be the case because in my conversations with military leadership and the new Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, I was made aware that a number of air traffic controllers may leave the Air Corps to work in other environments, as they are entitled to do. Providing this service commitment scheme may make a fundamental difference with regard to them changing their position. We have delivered our bit in terms of the Government putting this in place. I expect Defence Forces leadership and Air Corps leadership now to do their part and I know they will.

I agree with the Deputy on the broader point - there is a question on this from either him or Deputy Crowe listed for later and I will come to it - regarding how we look specifically at some of the technical skills required in our Defence Forces, separate and distinct from how we look at broader issues around recruitment and retention. There is great sense in that.