Questions

237. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence to confirm both in percentage and in clear monetary terms the value of the ‘levy’ on her Department's expenditure, that was required to be communicated to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation on or before the deadline of 17 July 2026, (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60679/…

277. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence the number of staff, whole-time equivalents employed in her Department on 30 June 2016 and 30 June 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63347/26]

279. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence the number of staff, whole-time equivalents in the Defence Forces in June 2016 and in June 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63442/26]

280. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence the number of staff, whole-time equivalents employed in each agency or regulatory body under her Department’s remit who were considered to be public service personnel in June 2016 and in June 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63449/26]

268. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if her Department can report on the amount paid to the private contractor that is supplying an out of hours ATC service to the Irish Air Corps at Casement Aerodrome in quarter one of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55912/26]

269. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if her Department can outline the number of aircraft movements, including take off and landings, either by fixed or rotary wing aircraft, that have been supervised out of hours by flight information services officers under the contact supplying an out of hours ATC service to the Irish Air Corps at Casement Aerodrome in quarter one of 2026; and if she will make a sta…

270. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if the out of hours ATC service that is being provided by a private contractor at Casement Aerodrome has the authority to provide instrument approach clearances to aircraft that wish to land in Casement Aerodrome who are flying under instrument flying regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55914/26]

213. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence to provide a copy of the recent correspondence issued by the Minister for Public Expenditure; National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to her Department referred to in media reports (details supplied); if she will provide details of the percentage reduction(s) in spending in her Department referenced in the correspondence; and if she will make a statement on th…

214. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence given that the new strategic reach Falcon 6x jet comes fitted as standard with a heads up display and enhanced vision system as part of the Dassault FalconEye System, and that these components are manufactured by an Israeli firm, if she can confirm that all or any of these Israeli components were removed from the aircraft; the cost to the taxpayer of these works; an…

324. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if it is the current policy of her private office/Department to formally invite or notify all local Oireachtas members of constituency events at which Ministers are in attendance in the course of performing their ministerial duties and functions; if she will provide the Department's current policy or protocol on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

325. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence to provide a list of all events across every constituency attended by the Minister in the course of her ministerial duties since 1 January 2026, where formal invitations/notifications to attend were not issued by her office to all local Oireachtas members; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30612/26]

266. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence following the publication of the National Maritime Security Strategy, if she can outline when we can expect to see publication of the first National Aviation Security Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22224/26]

267. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if and when she intends to advance plans to join the European Air Transport Command; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22225/26]

268. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if she could provide details of the last five class intakes detailing the number of Air Corps pilot cadetships offered and commenced and the number of Air Corps apprentice places offered and commenced, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22226/26]

269. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence the number of Air Corps pilot retirements in the past five years; the number of young officer pilot graduations in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22227/26]

270. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence the number of Air Corps aircraft technician retirements over the past five years; the number of apprentice aircraft technician graduations in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22228/26]

270. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence if her Department plans to engage staff from the private sector who work in accountancy and corporate law firms to work in her Department during the course of the upcoming EU Presidency term; the terms under which such staff will be engaged; the number of staff her Department plans to hire; the measures planned to guard against potential conflicts of interest betwee…

27. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence to set out the policy in her Department regarding the use of artificial intelligence; whether AI is used or permitted in drawing up policy documents, speeches, answers to parliamentary questions, press releases or for other official documents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15612/26]

285. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence given the Air Corps 101 Squadron operate Airbus 295W Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, the number of staff vacancies for radar operators; the actual staffing levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4150/26]

286. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence given the pending investment in SONOBOUY technology on the aircraft to help track rogue subsurface vessels around critical undersea cables, if he will outline any retention policies such as recent schemes for military air traffic controllers to ensure we don’t lose key SARO personnel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4151/26]

233. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence given the investment of over €230 million in two new maritime surveillance aircraft for the Air Corps delivered in 2024, the targets that have been set by his Department and military command for a minimum level of surveillance flying hours per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57166/25]

234. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence since the retirement of the King Air 200, multi-engine flight training in the Air Corps has been outsourced to civilian flight schools, if he intends continuing with this policy; if not, if there will be efforts to bring multi-engine conversion and airline pilot standards multi crew coordination courses back in-house; if this will feature as part of any…

235. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence given the approval of the master plan for the infrastructural development of Casement Aerodrome, when these plans will be published; if they will be resourced as part of voted budget or funds set aside under the NDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57168/25]

236. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste 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 upcom…

237. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste 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]