Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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465. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the amount being paid to a company (details supplied) to second maintenance technicians to the Air Corps; the amount each technician is being paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52799/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Air Corps currently operates eight Pilatus PC-9M aircraft and also has four Pilatus PC 12 aircraft.

The original order of three PC 12 aircraft which were delivered in September 2020 was augmented on an urgent basis by an additional aircraft delivered in April 2020. This additional aircraft provided the Air Corps with a very immediate additional fixed wing capacity to meet the unique situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and provided the Air Corps with a further agile resource to service urgent requests from the HSE and other agencies of the State.

The Air Corps utilises their own technicians for the maintenance of the Pilatus aircraft for both daily maintenance inputs and more in-depth aircraft inspections. The Air Corps do not now, nor have they had a contract in place with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd to second maintenance technicians to support the Pilatus aircraft fleet.