Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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214. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which the Air Corps is adequately equipped to detect and-or intercept any activity posing a threat to national security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15704/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Air Corps is not tasked or equipped to monitor aircraft overflying the entirety of Irish airspace. However, on a routine basis the Air Corps monitors and communicates with foreign military aircraft where such aircraft are flying in the airspace in the vicinity of Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, where air traffic control is provided by the Defence Forces.

The Government’s White Paper on Defence (2015) provides for periodic updates to consider progress with implementation and any revisions required. As stated in the White Paper, should additional funding beyond that required to maintain existing Air Corps’ capabilities become available, the development of a radar surveillance capability is a priority for the Air Corps.  Funding for this is not provided in the current resource envelopeand any future decisions in this regard will be in the context of the ongoing security environment and any associateddevelopments.

The Air Corps’ existing Pilatus PC9 aircraft provide a very limited air to air and air to ground capacity. Whilst the development of a more capable air combat intercept capability will be considered as part of the White Paper update,at this stage there are no plans in this regard. However, these matters are kept under constant review.