Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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448. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department has conducted a re-evaluation of the requirement for airlift capacity by the Air Corps subsequent to the deployment of an emergency civil assistance team to Kabul in August 2021; if he is considering recommending to Government the purchasing of a suitable aircraft or aircrafts for such purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4885/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Emergency Civil Assistance Team which was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and deployed to Kabul last August received transport assistance from our EU partners, France and Finland.  It is not unusual for small countries such as ours to receive this type of support from larger partners in relation to overseas deployments and crisis management scenarios.

 My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) process. Further additions to the Equipment Development Plan are currently under consideration.

The Department of Defence has received a capital allocation under the National Development Plan of €566m over the 2022-2025 timeframe. There are a number of defensive equipment acquisition and upgrade projects which will come to fruition during this period. In relation to air-based capability, alongside the recently acquired PC-12 aircraft delivery of two C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is expected in 2023.

An inter Departmental Group was convened last year to examine options, in line with the Public Spending Code, for the future provision of an independent, international air transport service for use by the President and Government. The Learjet 45 is the primary aircraft providing this facility along with supplementary military transports and air ambulance services. This aircraft which has been in continuous operation since 2004 is now nearing the end of its natural life.

The capability of the aircraft to carry out a broader utility role such as the deployment of an Emergency Civil Assistance Team is also being examined by the Group. However no decisions have yet been made in respect of the purchase of aircraft. As with all capital investment decisions costing over €10 million, the requirements of the Public Spending Code would need to be met, covering the various steps required in assessing the viability of the proposal and those associated with relevant decision-making and potential subsequent public investment in any additional aircraft.

The Group is chaired by my Department and also comprises representatives from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Public Expenditure and Reform, Transport and Foreign Affairs.

The Group is expected to make a recommendation to Government later this year.