The Air Corps operate a fleet of fixed and rotary wing aircraft which provide military support to the Army and Naval Service, together with support for non-military air services such as Garda air support, air ambulance, fisheries protection and the Ministerial Air Transport Service.
As the Deputy will appreciate, all aircraft must undergo regular maintenance and scheduled overhauls to ensure that they are fully airworthy and meet the certification standards laid down for the aviation industry. I am advised that the Air Corps perform all first line maintenance across the fleet where possible while heavy/annual maintenance is outsourced abroad.
The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
Year
|
Total amount of money spent on overseas aircraft maintenance - (€000's)
|
2013
|
1,418
|
2014
|
1,170
|
2015
|
844
|
2016
|
1,741
|
2017
|
1,890
|