Ken O'Flynn

181. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total number of aircraft in the Air Corps fleet currently classified as fully operational, under scheduled maintenance, or unavailable for operational use; the average maintenance downtime per aircraft type; and the governance mechanisms in place to monitor and reduce downtime. [27814/26]

182. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department has conducted any assessment of capability gaps arising from the retirement of legacy aircraft prior to the full operational deployment of replacement platforms; if so, to provide details of such assessments; and the mitigation measures adopted. [27815/26]

183. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the original and revised delivery timelines for replacement aircraft programmes, including the C295 maritime patrol aircraft and H145 helicopters; the reasons for any delays; and the oversight structures in place to ensure delivery within agreed timelines. [27816/26]

184. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total capital expenditure committed to Air Corps fleet replacement and upgrade programmes since 2019; whether any cost overruns have occurred; and the value-for-money assessment frameworks applied by her Department. [27817/26]

185. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the number of trained pilots, aircrew, and technical staff assigned to each aircraft type within the Air Corps; the current vacancy rates; and the policy measures in place to ensure alignment between staffing levels and operational fleet requirements. [27818/26]

186. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the annual intake, training completion rates, and attrition rates for Air Corps pilots and technical personnel over the past five years; and the measures being taken to address retention challenges. [27819/26]

187. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the annual operational output of the Air Corps, including maritime patrol hours, search and rescue support, and other mission categories, over the past five years; and how this compares to the Department’s assessed operational requirements. [27820/26]

188. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether, and the extent that, the State has relied on external or contracted aviation services to compensate for Air Corps capacity limitations in the past five years; and the associated cost. [27821/26]

189. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the reporting structures in place within her Department to monitor Air Corps operational capability; whether regular performance reports are produced; and if she will provide copies of the most recent reports. [27822/26]

286. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether all funding agreements with non-statutory bodies under her Department require mandatory compliance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies; if not, the basis on which voluntary adherence is deemed sufficient; and her plans to introduce binding governance requirements as a condition of funding. [27823/26]

287. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires the production of formal written governance assessment reports for non-statutory bodies in receipt of Exchequer funding; if not, the reason such reports are not required; and if she will outline any plans to introduce a standardised governance assessment framework. [27824/26]

288. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether funding agreements with non-statutory bodies include defined service-quality standards, measurable performance indicators, and outcome-based metrics; if so, the nature of these metrics; and if not, the rationale for the absence of quantifiable performance benchmarks linked to public funding. [27825/26]

289. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires independent external audit or evaluation of service delivery outcomes for non-statutory bodies it funds; if not, how the Department assures itself that reported outcomes are accurate and reliable; and if she will outline any plans to introduce independent validation mechanisms. [27826/26]

290. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which the current oversight agreement with the Institute of Public Health was formally signed; and the governance and oversight arrangements in place prior to that agreement, including any differences in reporting, compliance, or monitoring structures. [27827/26]

291. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department operates a formal escalation and enforcement framework where governance or performance concerns arise in respect of funded non-statutory bodies; if so, the steps involved; and if not, how accountability is ensured where deficiencies are identified. [27828/26]

292. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the formal process used by Department officials to review quarterly reports submitted by non-statutory bodies; whether this process includes documented evaluation criteria, scoring, or decision frameworks; and if she will provide details of how compliance is assessed beyond financial reporting. [27829/26]

293. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether continued funding of non-statutory bodies is explicitly linked to demonstrated performance against agreed objectives; and if so, the mechanisms used to assess performance and determine funding continuation or adjustment. [27830/26]

314. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any independent or externally commissioned value-for-money review has been conducted on the use of private providers for residential childcare placements funded by Tusla since 2020; if so, to provide the dates, authors, scope and key findings of each review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27504/26]

315. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child associated with private residential placements, private foster care placements, and special emergency arrangements, for each year from 2022 to 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27505/26]

316. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the outcome measures used at Departmental level to assess the effectiveness of privately delivered residential childcare placements funded by Tusla; whether such outcome measures are formally linked to funding allocations or contract renewals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27506/26]

317. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to assess the underlying cost structures, including profit margins, of private providers of residential childcare placements as part of value-for-money considerations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27507/26]

318. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal audit, external audit, or examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General has been carried out on the cost-effectiveness or value-for-money of private childcare placements funded by Tusla since 2020; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27508/26]

319. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of private providers contracted to deliver residential childcare placements funded by Tusla; the proportion of total placements accounted for by the five largest providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27509/26]

320. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy basis on which pricing for private residential childcare placements is set by Tusla, including whether pricing is benchmarked against international comparators or independently validated cost models; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27510/26]

321. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total additional Exchequer funding approved to support increases in rates paid to private providers of residential childcare and foster care placements in each of the years 2023 to 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27511/26]