299. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department maintains aggregated, non-operationally sensitive performance metrics relating to aircraft availability rates within the Air Corps fleet; and if so, the average annual availability rate across the fleet for each of the past five years. [29311/26]
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.
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54
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27
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22
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14
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13
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11
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6
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5
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
300. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the specific performance indicators, reports, or datasets reviewed by the High Level Planning and Procurement Group (HLPPG) in monitoring Air Corps capability; and whether any formal minutes, summaries, or performance dashboards are produced as part of this process. [29312/26]
301. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the policy framework governing maintenance planning and performance monitoring within the Air Corps; including whether target turnaround times, serviceability thresholds, or maintenance performance benchmarks are set at Departmental level. [29313/26]
302. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether any high-level, non-operational summaries of capability gap assessments relating to Air Corps platforms have been produced since 2020; and if so, whether such summaries can be provided in aggregate form [29314/26]
303. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the approved establishment level for Air Corps pilots, aircrew, and technical personnel; the current staffing levels; and the variance between approved and actual strength. [29315/26]
304. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the annual attrition rate for Air Corps pilots and technical personnel for each of the past five years; and the policy measures introduced specifically to address retention in these cohorts. [29316/26]
305. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the annual intake and completion numbers for Air Corps pilot and technical training programmes for each of the past five years; and whether current training capacity aligns with projected staffing requirements under the Equipment Development Plan. [29317/26]
306. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether the Department maintains an internal assessment of required versus actual Air Corps operational output across key mission categories; and if so, whether any gap between required and delivered output has been identified. [29318/26]
307. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether any post-procurement value-for-money or performance evaluation has been conducted on Air Corps aircraft acquisitions since 2019; and if so, to provide details of the evaluation criteria and findings [29319/26]
308. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence whether her Department has assessed the extent to which the €435 million investment in Air Corps platforms since 2019 has translated into increased operational capability; and the metrics used to determine such outcomes. [29320/26]
180. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Defence the policy and oversight arrangements in place to monitor the operational readiness of the Air Corps fleet; the percentage availability rates for each aircraft type over the past five years; and whether he will provide the current availability rate for each platform. [27813/26]
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]
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]
541. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence the number of student pilots of the Air Corps that have undergone basic initial pilot training with the United States Air Force or associated USA training provider in the last 20 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24793/26]
542. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence the cost of training with the United States Air Force or associated USA training provider inclusive of training, salaries, travel and subsistence, in total and per pilot; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24794/26]
543. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence the average duration of these courses with the United States Air Force or associated USA training provider and if the minister will make a statement on this for written reply. [24795/26]
544. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence if pilots undergoing training with the United States Air Force or associated USA training provider require additional conversion training to the Air Corps PC-9 aircraft upon their return to Ireland (details supplied) and if so, the amount of training and the additional cost before final qualification as a pilot; and if she will make a statement on the matter.…
545. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence the number of pilots of the Air Corps who have undergone helicopter training with the United States Air Force or associated USA training provider in the past 20 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24806/26]
546. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence the cost of training with the United States Air Force or associated USA training provider inclusive of training, salaries, travel and subsistence, in total and per pilot.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24807/26]
547. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Defence the average duration of these courses with the United States Air Force or associated USA training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24808/26]