Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 April 2026
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]
View answerMy Department has a broad range of audit and assurance arrangements in place that provide financial regularity and probity and ensure ongoing adherence to core Value for Money (VFM) principles. These arrangements encompass strong internal controls such as financial delegation and accountability, clear segregation of duties, monthly Management Board scrutiny, an embedded risk management system and a Research and Evaluation unit.
These structures are further complemented and strengthened by ongoing reviews undertaken by an independent Internal Audit Unit and robust external scrutiny, both ongoing and periodic, from, inter alia, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitisation. Collectively, this comprehensive approach to governance enhances transparency, safeguards public funding, and ensures that all Defence spending is well-managed and compliant with applicable public financial and procurement procedures.
There have been no specific post-procurement value-for-money or performance evaluations conducted on Air Corps aircraft acquisitions since 2019.
My Department has set up a Research and Evaluation Unit whose remit includes the ex-post evaluation of expenditure in my Department which will include the undertaking of post procurement evaluations of military acquisitions such as the Air Corps airframes.
