Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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236. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence given the Air Corps has previously employed the armed PC9 as an air interceptor for high profile security events such as the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and given recent personnel issues in the Air Cops, if the Air Corps presently has trained pilots to employ the PC9 in this armed role; if it will feature as a part of security arrangements for the upcoming EU presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57169/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2026. This will involve a significant programme of meetings and events across the country, including a number of major summits in Dublin. My Department is committed to ensuring a successful Irish Presidency and will work closely with other Departments and State agencies in the planning and delivery of Ireland’s programme.  The Defence Forces will be important in supporting the safe and secure delivery of the Presidency. As the Deputy will appreciate, for operations reasons, it would not be appropriate for me to detail the operational measures to be put in place at this juncture.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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237. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence given the recent investment of over €350 million in aircraft for the Air Corps (details supplied), if he is satisfied that sufficient hangar space exists in Casement Aerodrome to protect these aircrafts from the corrosive moist Irish climate; if not, when additional hangar space will come online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57170/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Building on the success of the Infrastructure Development Programme, approval was given to develop a series of masterplans for each Defence Forces installation, which will be developed to future-proof these locations for the next 20-30 years. The first such masterplan for the Airside in Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, was completed earlier this year and sets out a number of recommendations in relation to the development of the aerodrome in response to the level of ambition this Government has set for the Air Corps.

In total, the masterplan for Casement Airside provides development options equivalent to over €200 million in investment. These plans will dovetail with developments already identified under the current IDP, and will also lay out requirements for the years from 2027 onwards.  

Arising from this masterplan, my Department is currently in the process of tendering for an Integrated Design Team to undertake the design and construction oversight for the construction works on three (3) Aircraft Hangars, one of which will be a new, dedicated maintenance hangar. The proposed new hangar infrastructure will accommodate the dorming and maintenance requirements of current and future aircraft types, including the recently acquired C295 type and the soon to arrive Falcon 6X. The new hangars will ensure that staff are also working in an environment that is safe and designed to meet the modern requirements of a workspace specifically aimed at aviation maintenance. In parallel, the Air Corps will utilise existing hangar space to maximise the protection of new assets and the operational availability of all aircraft.