Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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450. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the additional provisions being given to the Air Corps to deal with additional demands from the HSE, in particular the demand for emergency airlift provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37120/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Whilst the Defence Forces are not a primary response agency for non-security related emergencies, as defined in the Framework for Major Emergency Management, they provide the fullest possible assistance to the appropriate Lead Department in the event of a natural disaster or emergency situation in its Aid to Civil Authority (ATCA) role. 

As part of the Defence Organisation, the Air Corps provides a broad range of services in accordance with its primary security role.  The Air Corps also undertakes a diverse range of non-security-related tasks on an ‘as available’ basis including the provision of air ambulance services to the Health Service Executive (HSE).  This support is underpinned by agreed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

In relation to other requests for support, the Air Corps and indeed the  Defence Forces,   can be made  and are made available, within current means and capabilities, as the need arises. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Joint Task Force was established to coordinate the Defence Forces contribution to the whole-of-Government COVID-19 response while retaining, at all times, a contingent capacity to provide Aid to the Civil Power support. 

Given the unique situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional PC-12 NG aircraft was purchased to provide immediate additional fixed wing capacity. This aircraft provides the Air Corps with a further agile resource to service urgent requests from the HSE and other agencies of the State. Over the last number of months the Air Corps have been involved in the transportation of COVID-19 tests to Germany in direct support of the effort to fight COVID-19, as well as fulfilling a broad range of other security and non-security roles as detailed above.