Ken O'Flynn

19. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the Reserve Defence Forces Regeneration and Development Plan; the specific targets within that plan that have been met, partially met, or missed to date; whether the plan contains ring-fenced funding commitments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17551/26]

20. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the ratio of Reserve Defence Forces personnel to Permanent Defence Force personnel as of the most recent available date; how this compares to comparable EU member states; what target ratio the Department considers appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17552/26]

21. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total cost to the State of the procurement of the Dassault Falcon 6X aircraft, including the purchase price, all ancillary costs associated with the transaction, delivery costs, any taxes applicable, crew training costs, modification or fit-out costs, ongoing maintenance contract costs, hangarage and infrastructure costs, and any other expenditure associated with the acquisition of this aircraft; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17553/26]

22. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the procurement process followed in the acquisition of the Dassault Falcon 6X aircraft; whether an open competitive tender process was conducted; if not, the legal basis under which the procurement was conducted without competitive tender; whether a value for money assessment was conducted and by whom; whether the Office of Government Procurement was involved in the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17554/26]

23. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the projected annual operating cost of the Dassault Falcon 6X aircraft including fuel, crew salaries, maintenance, insurance, and all ancillary costs; how this compares to the annual operating cost of the aircraft it replaces or supplements in the Air Corps fleet; the primary operational purpose for which the aircraft was procured; whether this procurement was identified in the Commission on the Defence Forces report as a priority capability requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17555/26]

24. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the decision to procure the Dassault Falcon 6X was subject to approval by the Government; the date on which such approval was granted; whether any independent military assessment was conducted concluding this aircraft type best met the operational requirements of the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17556/26]

25. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the Government considers the passenger capacity of 14 persons on the Dassault Falcon 6X to be operationally appropriate for the stated defence and security purposes for which the aircraft was procured; whether a needs assessment was conducted that identified a requirement for an aircraft of this specific passenger configuration; whether alternative aircraft with greater passenger or cargo capacity were considered during the procurement process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17561/26]

26. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to outline in full the operational requirements criteria that were established prior to the procurement of the Dassault Falcon 6X; who authored these criteria; whether the criteria were drafted by uniformed Defence Forces personnel, civilian Department staff, or external consultants; whether the criteria were reviewed and approved by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces prior to the procurement decision being made; whether the 14-person passenger capacity was specifically identified as meeting a stated military or defence operational requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17562/26]

27. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the primary operational role of the Dassault Falcon 6X is ministerial and government transport, VIP transport, Defence Forces operational transport, maritime patrol, or a combination thereof; what proportion of projected annual flight hours are allocated to each role; whether a dedicated ministerial or government transport aircraft of this specification represents an appropriate use of the Defence Forces capital budget given the acknowledged capability gaps in maritime patrol, surveillance, and personnel equipment identified in the Commission on the Defence Forces report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17563/26]

28. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to explain to the Dáil the operational defence justification for the procurement of an aircraft with a 14-person passenger capacity at a time when the Naval Service cannot fully crew its existing fleet, reservists are reportedly purchasing their own equipment, and the Department's own National Maritime Security Strategy 2026-2030 acknowledges critical gaps in maritime surveillance capability; and whether she considers this procurement to represent the correct prioritisation of scarce defence capital. [17564/26]

29. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the operational requirements criteria that led to the procurement of the Dassault Falcon 6X have been published or are available under Freedom of Information; whether any alternative aircraft types were assessed against these criteria and if so, which types were considered and the reasons they were rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17565/26]

30. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the 14-person passenger capacity of the Dassault Falcon 6X represents a reduction, increase, or equivalence relative to the passenger capacity of the aircraft it replaces or supplements in the Air Corps fleet; whether this capacity was identified as a specific operational requirement by the Defence Forces Chief of Staff; whether any scenario planning was conducted to assess whether a 14-seat configuration would be adequate for Defence Forces evacuation, humanitarian, or operational deployment missions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17566/26]

31. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a full itemised list of all aircraft, naval vessels, armoured vehicles, weapons systems, surveillance equipment, communications systems, and all other capital military equipment procured or contracted for procurement by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces since the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in February 2022; the cost of each item; the branch of the Defence Forces for which each item was procured; whether each item was identified as a priority in the commission's report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17567/26]

32. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a breakdown of the total capital equipment budget of the Defence Forces in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; the proportion spent on naval vessels, aircraft, land systems, cyber and communications, and other categories respectively; the number of procurement projects currently at each stage of the project lifecycle as referenced in the National Maritime Security Strategy 2026-2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17568/26]

33. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the Naval Service fleet, specifying each vessel by name, class, age, current operational status, and whether it is currently seaworthy and crewed to full complement; the number of sea days recorded by the Naval Service in each of the years 2019 to 2025 inclusive; how this compares to any target sea days figure recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces or set by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17569/26]

34. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the Air Corps fleet, specifying each aircraft by type, age, current operational status, and primary assigned role; the total flying hours recorded by the Air Corps in each of the years 2019 to 2025 inclusive; whether any aircraft type currently operated by the Air Corps has been identified for replacement and if so the timeline and estimated cost of that replacement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17578/26]

35. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total value of defence equipment procurement contracts awarded since February 2022 broken down by country of origin of the supplier; whether any preference was given to Irish suppliers or EU suppliers in the procurement process; the value of defence contracts awarded to Irish-based companies in each year since 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17579/26]

36. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the primary radar programme and subsea domain awareness programme referenced in the National Maritime Security Strategy 2026-2030; the total projected cost of each programme; the timeline for delivery of initial operational capability in each case; whether these programmes were subject to competitive tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17580/26]

37. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a full breakdown of the Defence Vote for the most recent available financial year, specifying the total amount spent by the Department of Defence as a civilian administrative body including staff costs, consultancy, accommodation, travel, information technology systems, and all other administrative expenditure; the total amount spent directly on the Defence Forces including pay, equipment, training, fuel, ammunition, and all operational expenditure; the ratio this represents between administrative and operational spending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17581/26]

38. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total number of civil servants currently employed in her Defence; the total payroll cost of these civil servants in the most recent financial year; how this compares to the total payroll cost of uniformed Defence Forces personnel at equivalent grades; the current ratio of civil servants to uniformed personnel; how this ratio has changed in each year since 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17582/26]

39. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total amount spent on external consultancy, advisory services, and contracted professional services by the Department of Defence in each of the years 2020 to 2025 inclusive; the names of the firms engaged; the purpose of each engagement; whether each engagement was subject to competitive tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17583/26]

40. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence to provide a breakdown of defence spending under the following headings for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive: pay and allowances for uniformed personnel; pay and allowances for civilian Department staff; capital equipment procurement; maintenance and repair of existing equipment; fuel and operational costs; training costs; accommodation and barracks maintenance; overseas mission costs; and all other expenditure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17584/26]

41. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence what proportion of the overall defence Vote has been spent on barrack accommodation, maintenance, and infrastructure in each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; the current estimated backlog of maintenance works required across Defence Forces installations; the estimated cost of bringing all Defence Forces accommodation up to an acceptable standard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17585/26]

42. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total amount spent on the development, production, and publication of strategy documents, policy papers, public consultation processes, and related communications by her Department in each of the years 2022 to 2025 inclusive; whether this expenditure was subject to value for money assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17586/26]

80. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether the Government has considered introducing a sunset provision for the Special Assignee Relief Programme with a view to transitioning to a broader competitive corporate tax environment that does not rely on individual income tax distortions to attract foreign direct investment; the assessment that has been made of whether the scheme remains necessary, given Ireland's established position as a leading destination for foreign direct investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17437/26]