Vol. 489 No. 7
104 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Defence the number of occasions in 1997 and 1998 in which Ryanair aircraft were used in the rotation of Irish troops serving abroad; the reason Ryanair was chosen; the review, if any, planned of this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9248/98]
Ryanair was among a number of airline companies invited to tender by the military authorities in 1997 for the transportation of the first contingent of Irish troops to serve with the stabilisation force — SFOR — in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the rotation of the contingent in January 1998. While the company was unsuccessful in its tender for the award of the contract for the transportation of troops to Sarejevo in July 1997, it was awarded the contract for the January 1998 rotation as it submitted the lowest offer. Ryanair will continue to be invited to tender for the transportation of the Irish SFOR contingent as the occasion arises.
Tenders for the transport of Irish troops to and from the Lebanon are invited by the United Nations and are open to international competitive bidding.
