John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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449. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the total strength of Air Corps personnel; the number of qualified military pilots, cadet pilots in training, qualified military aircraft maintenance technicians, qualified military avionics technicians and military apprentices in training of both aforementioned disciplines. [14074/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Air Corps, as at 10^thMarch 2022, is 761 wholetime equivalent personnel.

The table below shows the strength by requested stream: -

*Cadets are scheduled to commence their Pilot Wings course once they graduate as Officers.

A Military Aircraft Technician (MAT) is an individual who has qualified from an Air Corps apprenticeship, or a direct entrant deemed to have the appropriate qualifications to work on aircraft in the various maintenance roles. Personnel in these roles cover the broad range of disciplines within the Air Corps e.g. avionics technicians, aircraft mechanics, crew leaders, and aircraft inspectors. 

All MATs are employed in the maintenance of aircraft. At any one time, they may be employed in any of the broad range of maintenance disciplines, be in training, or serving overseas. The total number of qualified MATs is therefore inclusive of those who may be assigned to avionics duties, or any of the other disciplines, at any one time.

As outlined, there is a strong training pipeline for MATs consisting of 65 apprentices. Of these apprentices, 21 are undergoing basic military training along with 2 direct entry aircraft technicians. The remaining 44 are undergoing their qualification process and will, on successful completion, be streamed into rotary, fixed-wing or avionics technician categories.

My focus remains on retaining/restoring all branches of the Defence Forces to their full capacity. Furthermore, the work of the Commission on the Defence Forces included, inter alia, consideration of staffing and recruitment and retentions matters. The Commission’s report was published on 9 February 2022. The next stage in the process will involve careful consideration of the recommendations and in-depth discussion and inter-departmental consultation. Once all recommendations have been carefully considered and an approach discussed, I intend to bring a proposed response to the report’s recommendations and a high-level action plan to the government for consideration.