Vol. 409 No. 10
7 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Defence if the three new SIAI Marchetti trainer planes, recently delivered to the Air Corps, are additional to or replacements for the existing trainer complement; and when the two Spanish CASA reconnaissance planes will be delivered.
Three Marchetti aircraft have been leased by my Department for a short period and are being used by the Air Corps for primary pilot assessment. The aircraft are not additional to, or replacements for, any existing Air Corps aircraft and will be returned to their owner on completion of the training programme.
In accordance with an EC approved programme, a contract was recently placed for the purchase of two CASA CN 235 maritime patrol aircraft for delivery in early 1994. The aircraft will be used for the purpose of aerial surveillance of fisheries resources.
While awaiting delivery of these aircraft, an existing CASA CN 235 aircraft has been purchased for fishery surveillance and was delivered in early June 1991.
Can the Minister give the number of planes or helicopters that have crashed into the Irish Sea in recent times? What are the difficulties with the Air Corps as reports suggest that some of these planes are almost non-operational and some are quite corroded and cannot fly over the sea?
That is a separate question.
The Deputy is raising other matters worthy of separate questions.
There is a separate question on the Order Paper dealing with this matter. Those are irresponsible and wild allegations without any justification. We will deal with that question when we come to it.
