238. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Defence the number of flight simulators training facilities that are currently available to Air Corps personnel; and if funding has been requested by the Air Corps to purchase a flight simulator. [73397/26]
Topics / Air Corps
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsAir Corps
207 questions from 47 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 20 October 2026.
207
questions
190 written, 17 oral
47
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 4 |
| March 2025 | 5 |
| April 2025 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 11 |
| June 2025 | 22 |
| July 2025 | 8 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 9 |
| October 2025 | 9 |
| November 2025 | 5 |
| December 2025 | 3 |
| January 2026 | 6 |
| February 2026 | 5 |
| March 2026 | 25 |
| April 2026 | 44 |
| May 2026 | 29 |
| June 2026 | 8 |
| July 2026 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 3 |
| October 2026 | 1 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
-
54
-
27
-
22
-
14
-
13
-
11
-
6
-
5
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
240. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 64320/26 and 64321/26 of 16 September 2026 (details supplied), the overall Air Corps fleet availability expressed as a single annual percentage for each of the years 2022 to 2025, without breakdown by aircraft type, base or role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68777/26]
234. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the total flying hours recorded by the Pilatus PC-12 fleet in each year since entry into service in 2020; the availability rate of the fleet in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60468/26]
260. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence the number of females qualified Air Corps Pilots; the number of females currently in training to become qualified Air Corps Pilots; when each of those persons will qualify, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62582/26]
265. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence whether the contract for Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems capabilities, which her Department stated in December 2025 was in final negotiations to conclude before the end of the year in advance of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, has been concluded; whether these systems are now operational; and if she will make a statement on the m…
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]
299. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the current availability of Air Corps aircraft and personnel to assist the emergency services in responding to major forest and wildfires; whether Air Corps operations in support of firefighting efforts are restricted to daylight hours; her views on reports that Air Corps aircraft arrive at fire scenes at approximately 10 a.m. and cease operations at approxima…
102. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence the cost of enhancement of the Air Corps' fleet with the addition of two additional medium lift rotary wing aircraft for enhanced Defence Forces support and priority ATCA taskings as per the CODF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52824/26]
150. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the names of specialist military courses that Air Corps personnel went to Canada given those specialist military courses are not available within the State in the years of 2025 and to-date in 2026; and the names of those courses and duration of each, in tabular form. [50793/26]
158. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the reasons no personnel completed pilot training in the Air Corps in 2023, despite 11 personnel being inducted that year; the attrition or dropout rate at each stage of pilot training for that cohort; whether the washout is linked to instructor capacity, aircraft availability, or other constraints under the Equipment Development Plan; and if she will make a stat…
159. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel who left the Air Corps in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and to date in 2026, broken down by category (details supplied); the breakdown of reasons for departure where recorded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49278/26]
160. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the current strength versus establishment, in both numeric and percentage terms, for aircraft maintenance technicians and air traffic controllers specifically within the Air Corps, as distinct from the overall Air Corps establishment figure; the average time taken to fill a vacancy in each of these specialist categories; and if she will make a statement on the ma…
161. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence of the 800 applications received for the 2026 pilot and air traffic controller cadetship streams, the number that proceeded to interview; the number offered a place; the number who commenced training; the historical dropout or failure rate during the 30 month pilot cadetship training pipeline for each of the past five intakes; and if she will make a statement on …
143. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Defence if the Air Corps new Airbus C295W is fully operational; the number of operations it has been involved in to-date outlining any air ambulance or evacuation missions it has been involved in; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46816/26]
144. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Defence the number of crew and passengers the Defence Forces new Airbus C295W can carry as opposed to the older CASA CN235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46817/26]
269. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the annual intake and complete number for the Air Corps Pilot and Technical Training Programme for each of the past three years; and whether current training capacity aligns with projected staffing requirements under the Equipment Development Plan. [45748/26]
121. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence further to recent Dáil Éireann debates, her views on past health and safety measures in the Air Corps; the actions she plans to take to support former aircraft maintenance and ancillary personnel; whether she intends to ensure their medical needs are met; and the other supports that can be offered to the category affected as a whole. [43734/26]
326. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the number of authorised pilot posts currently approved within the Air Corps; the number currently filled; the number vacant; and the corresponding figures for each year from 2023 to date in 2026. [39221/26]
327. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the number of Air Corps personnel currently in pilot training; the annual training intake capacity; the projected annual pilot output for 2026, 2027 and 2028 [39222/26]
10. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 6 May 2026, to elaborate on the difference between “Air Corps” and “Government jet” in her response; to clarify whether “Air Corps” is a reference to the previous Government jet or to other Air Corps aircraft; and the estimated cost to the Exchequer of each trip listed. [38058/26]
66. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance further to Question No. 219 of 6 May 2026, to elaborate on the difference between “Air Corps” and “Air Corps Government jet” in his response; to clarify whether “Air Corps” is a reference to the previous Government jet or to other Air Corps aircraft; the reason the “Air Corps” or “Air Corps Government” jet appears to have become the standard mode of t…
323. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the procurement mechanism used for the acquisition of the four Airbus H145 helicopters for the Air Corps; whether the acquisition was conducted through an open competitive tender process, a negotiated procedure, a Government-to-Government arrangement, or another procurement framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37022/26]
324. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether any exemption from standard public procurement procedures or EU defence procurement requirements was applied in relation to the acquisition of the four Airbus H145 helicopters for the Air Corps; the legal basis relied upon for any such exemption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37023/26]