Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
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]
View answerAn independent and flexible strategic reach air transport service is an increasingly essential requirement to assist the Government in meeting its national and international obligations. To provide such a service without interruption, the Department of Defence has contracted an air taxi contingency arrangement which provides for the short-term charter of crewed jet aircraft to augment the existing Ministerial Air Transport Service operated by the Air Corps.
This arrangement is utilised on occasions when the military aircraft currently operated by the Air Corps are unavailable or unsuitable for a particular mission. This service has been provided at a total cost of €3,279,016.40 for the last 5 years.
The Department of Defence has also contracted for air charter services to facilitate the rotation of Defence Forces UNDOF and UNIFIL troops between Ireland and their overseas postings. This is at a total cost of €3,816,245.85 for the last 5 years.
