Questions

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]

182. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 184 of 29 January 2026, whether Ireland has been designated as having any of the approximately 500 military mobility “hotspots” identified under the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, without disclosing their locations or any operational details; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27379/26]

183. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence the amount that the Defence Forces spent on purchasing specialist fire appliances for Defence Forces fire services in 2025 and to date in 2026; the ages of the fire appliances that are currently in use, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27454/26]

525. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Defence her plans for two Hagglund vehicles that have been used by the Civil Defence nationwide to access difficult terrain that is inaccessible to other vehicles rescuing people and emergency vehicles and personnel (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23537/26]

526. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Defence the reason the Defence Forces do not keep track of success and failure rates at the recruitment medical stage, such as acceptance or rejection or any data relating to medical appeals, as indicated in recent FOI responses (details supplied); if she was aware of this lack of statistical tracking; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23613/26]

527. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Defence whether any artificial intelligence tools or systems are currently being used within her Department or in agencies under its remit; the purposes for which these tools are being used; whether any departmental guidance or governance structures have been developed to support their responsible use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24450/26]

528. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Defence the amount of Government funding provided to environmental NGOs (details supplied) in each of the past ten years. [24501/26]

529. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Defence the value and duration of contracts and service provision arrangements her Department and all bodies under her aegis have or had with a company (details supplied) in the past ten years to date in 2026; if she will clarify whether her Department was the beneficiary of professional work or services from the company over that same period; and the nature and value…

530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Defence to provide a list of the NGOs that have received Government funding from her Department in the past five years. [24625/26]

531. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the precise date on which Ministerial approval was granted for the procurement of the Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft; and the date on which the relevant approval decision was signed off within her Department. [24705/26]

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the title, date, and status of each cost-benefit analysis, options appraisal, business case, or equivalent evaluative document prepared in relation to the procurement of the Falcon 6X aircraft; and whether she will publish these documents in full or in redacted form. [24706/26]

533. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the number of aircraft types, platforms, or bids assessed during the procurement competition for the Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft; and whether a formal scoring or evaluation matrix was used to assess competing options. [24707/26]

534. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether a formal operational requirement specification was prepared for the strategic reach aircraft procurement; if so, the date on which it was finalised; the authority by which it was approved; and whether it included specific requirements relating to passenger capacity, range, aeromedical evacuation capability, cargo flexibility, runway performance, or intero…

535. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the estimated whole-life cost of the Falcon 6X aircraft over its projected service life, including maintenance, crew, fuel, training, insurance, infrastructure, support contracts, and depreciation; and whether such life-cycle costing formed part of the appraisal process. [24709/26]

536. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether any sensitivity analysis, affordability assessment, or value-for-money assessment was undertaken in respect of the Falcon 6X procurement; and if so, whether account was taken of projected operating costs over a period of at least ten years. [24710/26]

537. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether a formal comparative capability-prioritisation exercise was undertaken to assess the Falcon 6X procurement against other capital requirements including primary radar, maritime surveillance, naval fleet regeneration, personnel retention measures, and subsea monitoring capability; and, if so, whether she will provide the criteria used. [24711/26]

538. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the High Level Planning and Procurement Group recorded a recommendation, decision note, or minute in relation to the Falcon 6X procurement; and whether any such record will be made available in redacted form. [24712/26]

539. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether external advisers, consultants, or technical specialists were engaged in the appraisal, evaluation, or procurement process for the Falcon 6X aircraft; the identity of any such advisers; the nature of their role; and the cost of such engagement. [24713/26]

540. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the Falcon 6X procurement was assessed against alternative means of delivering strategic reach, including charter, pooled European arrangements, or lower-cost aircraft options; and whether the Department quantified the comparative cost and operational trade-offs of those alternatives. [24714/26]