Vol. 468 No. 2
18 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give a breakdown of the use and all costs in respect of his internal air transport for the period 1 January 1996 to 30 June 1996; the transport arrangements at each end of these flights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14577/96]
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 59 of 7 March 1996 giving details of internal Aer Corps flights in January-February 1996. The further information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. The total cost to my Department of the related travel was £930.
The question of road transport is an operational matter for the Garda and the RUC when I travel by road in Northern Ireland on Anglo-Irish business.
INTERNAL AIR TRAVEL
|
Date |
Mode of Transport |
|
3/1/'96 |
Commercial |
|
14/1/'96 |
Commercial |
|
17/1/'96 |
Commercial |
|
12/2/'96 |
Commercial |
|
16/2/'96 |
Commercial |
|
19/2/'96 |
Commercial |
|
23/2/'96 |
Commercial |
|
29/2/'96 |
Commercial |
|
6/3/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
7/3/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
8/3/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
11/3/'96 |
Commercial |
|
20/3/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
2/4/'96 |
Commercial |
|
4/4/'96 |
Commercial |
|
30/4/'96 |
Commercial |
|
9/5/'96 |
Commercial |
|
16/5/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
19/5/'96 |
Commercial |
|
24/5/'96 |
Commercial |
|
28/5/'96 |
Commercial |
|
31/5/'96 |
Commercial |
|
6/6/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
9/6/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
10/6/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
11/12/6/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
19/6/'96 |
Aer Corp |
|
26/6/'96 |
Commercial |
|
28/6/'96 |
Commercial |
I thank the Minister for his reply. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of the table to which he referred, which leaves me a little in the dark; I hope the Minister does not want to keep me in the dark. From replies to previous questions tabled on this issue, I note there was a number of flights from Kerry to Dublin. Why are such flights necessary? I understood air transport was to be used to ensure the Minister attended various meetings and engaged in whatever processes were necessary to carry out his functions. I am amazed at the number of flights from Kerry to Dublin when, on occasions, only one passenger was carried. Will the Minister clarify the position? Will the Minister outline the cost to his Department of all transport arrangements for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs?
I have no difficulty giving the Deputy all the information he requires. The Deputy seems to have an inquisitive nature in relation to my mode of transport. I live in Tralee in County Kerry. I am elected to represent the people of North Kerry and I am the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Deputy will be aware there is a regional airport in County Kerry.
I will use commercial air transport at 6.25 a.m. or 10 p.m. because that gives me a longer day in the office. The Deputy is aware the hours required are demanding. If he speaks to any of his colleagues who have served in the Department of Foreign Affairs, he will be told the Department works around the clock. I want to participate in that work. I use internal air travel quite often, as is customary for Ministers if they are resident in Cork or Limerick, for example, and are attending meetings in Brussels on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings. It would be normal for Ministers to be collected from Cork airport so that they have the opportunity to spend Sunday with their families. I am sure the Deputy is also aware that Ministers who live in the Cork region use air transport to Dublin so that they can be in their offices early in the morning to attend to their duties.
I understand the demands on any Minister, particularly the Minister for Foreign Affairs. However, the Minister has avoided answering the question about his transport arrangements. Some people are concerned that although a Garda driven car is available to the Tánaiste to transport him to and from Kerry, he chooses to use an Aer Corps craft, the Government jet or commercial flights at the taxpayers' expense. I presume the Tánaiste appreciates the concerns of the public in this regard. If he uses a car in Dublin which brings him to Baldonnel, what car meets him at Farranfore?
The arrangements whereby I have a car and a security driver have been in place in all Departments for a long time. That is a matter for the Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice. The Deputy may appreciate the reasons for that if he consults some of his colleagues who held ministerial office. If I take a commercial flight to Kerry at 10 o'clock on a Friday night, as happens regularly when I am working in my office, my driver will probably be waiting for me at Farranfore. Unlike the Deputy, I am unable to get home in ten minutes by car. Every year I have been in office I have succeeded in reducing the transport costs in my Department from what they were when previous Ministers held office.
