Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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299. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether her Department maintains aggregated, non-operationally sensitive performance metrics relating to aircraft availability rates within the Air Corps fleet; and if so, the average annual availability rate across the fleet for each of the past five years. [29311/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Comprehensive data regarding Air Corps activities is publicly available in the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Annual Report www.gov.ie/en/department-of-defence/collections/annual-reports.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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300. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the specific performance indicators, reports, or datasets reviewed by the High Level Planning and Procurement Group (HLPPG) in monitoring Air Corps capability; and whether any formal minutes, summaries, or performance dashboards are produced as part of this process. [29312/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The High Level Planning and Procurement Group (HLPPG) is a joint civil/military group whose role is to develop and implement multi annual rolling plans for the Defence Forces for equipment procurement and disposal and infrastructural development (including property acquisition), in accordance with the priorities set out in the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces, the Strategic Framework, the Defence Policy Review and in accordance with the prevailing strategic policy priorities and initiatives approved by the Minister and Government. The HLPPG is a key element of the governance structure in Defence.

One of the key recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces was to implement a top down capability development planning process (CDPP) to bring planning for Defence Forces capabilities in line with best practice. In early 2023 a Capability Development Unit was established in the Department. It is civil/military in terms of staffing, with military staff from across the three services of the Defence Forces, providing an overarching joint perspective to capability planning.

The Unit is in the final stages of producing a 12-year Capability Development Programme, that will identify, at a high level, the capability requirements for the Defence Forces, including Air Corps capabilities out to 2040. This ongoing piece of work, once complete, will inform the prioritisation of capabilities the Defence Forces will progress in moving towards the strategic level of ambition set out in the Defence Policy Review, and the objectives as set out in the recently published Strategic Framework and Update to the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces. HLPPG will have a role in agreeing updates to the Capability Development Programme.

I expect the Capability Development Programme will be finalised in 2026.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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301. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the policy framework governing maintenance planning and performance monitoring within the Air Corps; including whether target turnaround times, serviceability thresholds, or maintenance performance benchmarks are set at Departmental level. [29313/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the military authorities that the Air Corps operate a maintenance plan which endeavours to ensure that the maximum number of operational flying hours is available from the current aircraft fleet

All Air Corps aircraft and equipment are maintained in accordance with the Air Corps' maintenance regulations, the Air Regulation Manual Part E (ARM E), which establishes the regulatory standards for the continuing airworthiness of all aircraft and equipment.

Defence Forces operational plans and response capabilities are subject to normal operational security reporting restrictions and are not disclosed for operational security reasons. In this context, the Department of Defence receives operational and readiness reports for situational awareness purposes only. Direct command and control of assets, as well as specific tactical deployment decisions, remain the remit of the military authorities. Comprehensive data regarding Air Corps activities is publicly available in the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Annual Report (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-defence/collections/annual-reports).

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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302. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether any high-level, non-operational summaries of capability gap assessments relating to Air Corps platforms have been produced since 2020; and if so, whether such summaries can be provided in aggregate form [29314/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Defence, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future.

The Commission on the Defence Forces identified capability gaps in the Irish Defence Forces through a review process carried out between December 2020 and February 2022. The Commission combined policy analysis, consultations, site visits and comparative benchmarking to reach its conclusions. The Commission made a wide range of recommendations to fill capability gaps, which was accepted by the Government in the approved move to “Level of Ambition 2” as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission.

One of the key recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces was to implement a top down capability development planning process (CDPP) to bring planning for Defence Forces capabilities in line with best practice. This is a three phase process. The first phase, called the upstream phase, identifies capability needs. The second phase, the midstream phase, develops the capability requirements in detail. The third and final phase, the downstream phase, is where the capabilities are acquired and sustained.

In early 2023 a Capability Development Unit was established in the Department. It is civil/military in terms of staffing, with military staff from across the three services of the Defence Forces, providing an overarching joint perspective to capability planning. The Unit is now well established and in the final stages of the upstream phase, the key output of which is a 12 year Capability Development Programme, that will identify, at a high level, the capability requirements for the Defence Forces out to 2040. This ongoing piece of work, once complete, will inform the prioritisation of capabilities the Defence Forces will progress in moving towards the strategic level of ambition set out in the Defence Policy Review, and the objectives as set out in the recently published Strategic Framework and Update to the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces. The Capability Development Programme will be finalised and published in 2026, however as the Deputy will appreciate, the assessment of capabilities and summarised capability gaps are highly sensitive and are not releasable in the interests of national security.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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303. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the approved establishment level for Air Corps pilots, aircrew, and technical personnel; the current staffing levels; and the variance between approved and actual strength. [29315/26]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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304. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the annual attrition rate for Air Corps pilots and technical personnel for each of the past five years; and the policy measures introduced specifically to address retention in these cohorts. [29316/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It has not been possible to provide a response within the time frame available. I will respond to the Deputy when the information requested is to hand.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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305. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the annual intake and completion numbers for Air Corps pilot and technical training programmes for each of the past five years; and whether current training capacity aligns with projected staffing requirements under the Equipment Development Plan. [29317/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It has not been possible to provide a response within the time frame available. I will respond to the Deputy when the information requested is to hand.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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306. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether the Department maintains an internal assessment of required versus actual Air Corps operational output across key mission categories; and if so, whether any gap between required and delivered output has been identified. [29318/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In relation to ensuring service delivery aligns with the specific requirements of our state partners, performance is formally governed by Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for crucial services including:

• Emergency Aeromedical Services (EAS) and inter-hospital transfers ( Department of Health)
• Maritime Patrol and fisheries protection ( Sea Fisheries Protection Agency)
• Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS)
• Garda Air Support Unit

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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307. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether any post-procurement value-for-money or performance evaluation has been conducted on Air Corps aircraft acquisitions since 2019; and if so, to provide details of the evaluation criteria and findings [29319/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a broad range of audit and assurance arrangements in place that provide financial regularity and probity and ensure ongoing adherence to core Value for Money (VFM) principles. These arrangements encompass strong internal controls such as financial delegation and accountability, clear segregation of duties, monthly Management Board scrutiny, an embedded risk management system and a Research and Evaluation unit.

These structures are further complemented and strengthened by ongoing reviews undertaken by an independent Internal Audit Unit and robust external scrutiny, both ongoing and periodic, from, inter alia, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitisation. Collectively, this comprehensive approach to governance enhances transparency, safeguards public funding, and ensures that all Defence spending is well-managed and compliant with applicable public financial and procurement procedures.

There have been no specific post-procurement value-for-money or performance evaluations conducted on Air Corps aircraft acquisitions since 2019.

My Department has set up a Research and Evaluation Unit whose remit includes the ex-post evaluation of expenditure in my Department which will include the undertaking of post procurement evaluations of military acquisitions such as the Air Corps airframes.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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308. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence whether her Department has assessed the extent to which the €435 million investment in Air Corps platforms since 2019 has translated into increased operational capability; and the metrics used to determine such outcomes. [29320/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In terms of assessing the extent to which the investment in Air Corps platforms since 2019 has translated into increased operational capability; and the metrics used to determine such outcomes, I can confirm that my Department has a broad range of audit and assurance arrangements in place that provide financial regularity and probity and ensure ongoing adherence to core Value for Money (VFM) principles. These arrangements encompass strong internal controls such as financial delegation and accountability, clear segregation of duties, monthly Management Board scrutiny, an embedded risk management system and a Research and Evaluation unit.

These structures are further complemented and strengthened by ongoing reviews undertaken by an independent Internal Audit Unit and robust external scrutiny, both ongoing and periodic, from, inter alia, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitisation. Collectively, this comprehensive approach to governance enhances transparency, safeguards public funding, and ensures that all Defence spending is well-managed and compliant with applicable public financial and procurement procedures.

My Department has set up a Research and Evaluation Unit whose remit includes the ex-post evaluation of expenditure in my Department which will include the undertaking of post procurement evaluations of military acquisitions such as the Air Corps platforms.