Ministerial Travel.

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Questions (267)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

279 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Defence the number of times each Minister used the Government jet to date in 2009; the costs of using the Government jet to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47704/09]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Defence (Deputy Willie O’Dea)

The Ministerial Air Transport Service is provided by the Air Corps to facilitate members of the Government in fulfilling their official engagements at home and abroad. The Service is primarily provided by the Gulfstream IV and Learjet 45 aircraft, which were specifically acquired for that purpose. Until recently, the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 turbo-prop aircraft was also used as a back up aircraft for short and medium haul Ministerial Air Transport missions, in addition to its primary pilot training role. The CASA Maritime Patrol Aircraft are occasionally tasked with MATS flights in exceptional circumstances and where the dedicated MATS aircraft are not available. The information requested regarding the number of times each Minister used the Ministerial Air Transport Service to date in 2009 is presented in the tabular statement.

My Department follows the normal practice in the aviation business of costing aircraft by reference to the cost per flying hour under either of two headings:

(a) The direct cost, i.e. the costs which are additional to those associated with having the aircraft and which only arise when the aircraft is flown including maintenance, fuel and support services; and

(b) The total cost, i.e. the direct cost plus the costs associated with having the aircraft, i.e. depreciation and personnel costs

The current rates per hour used to establish these costs in relation to Air Corps aircraft used in provision of Ministerial Air Transport Service are as follows:

Aircraft	Average Direct Cost Per Hour	Average Total Cost Per Hour
	€	€
Gulfstream	4,050	7,890
Learjet	1,270	2,950
Beechcraft	1,320	1,770
CASA	1,335	2,821

Appendix 1: Gulfstream IV 2009

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
14/01/2009	16/01/2009	350	Baldonnel – Helsinki – Baldonnel	Health
19/01/2009	19/01/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
22/01/2009	22/01/2009	40	Baldonnel – Derry – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
23/01/2009	23/01/2009	120	Baldonnel – Derry – Baldonnel – Cork – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/ Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)/ Foreign Affairs/ Education/ Transport/ Finance/ Health/ Social & Family Affairs/Agriculture/Arts,Sports & Tourism
29/01/2009	30/01/2009	240	Baldonnel – Zurich – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
01/02/2009	06/02/2009	1,030	Baldonnel – Cork – Damascus – Beirut – Abu Dhabi – Dubai – Brussels – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
09/02/2009	10/02/2009	180	Dublin – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
15/02/2009	20/02/2009	1,355	Baldonnel – Cork – Washington – Mexico City – Havana(Cuba) – St Johns Newfoundland (Canada) – Cork – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
24/02/2009	26/02/2009	950	Baldonnel – Shannon – N’Djamena – Abeche – N’Djamena – Shannon – Baldonnel	Defence
01/03/2009	01/03/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
14/03/2009	18/03/2009	900	Baldonnel – Teterboro – White Plains – Teterboro – Washington – Shannon	An Taoiseach/Foreign Affairs
19/03/2009	20/03/2009	220	Shannon – Brussels – Baldonnel – Cork – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/Foreign Affairs
22/03/2009	23/03/2009	270	Baldonnel – Prague – Baldonnel	Education & Science
21/03/2009	21/03/2009	100	Baldonnel – Cardiff – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
05/04/2009	05/04/2009	270	Baldonnel – Prague – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/Foreign Affairs
26/04/2009	01/05/2009	1,130	Baldonnel – Knock – Riyadh(Saudi Arabia) – Jeddah(Saudi Arabia) – Doha(Qatar) – Knock – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
07/05/2009	07/05/2009	270	Baldonnel – Prague – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
11/05/2009	12/05/2009	180	Baldonnel – Cork – Brussels – Baldonnel	Education & Science

Appendix 1: Gulfstream IV 2009 — continued

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
14/05/2009	16/05/2009	215	Baldonnel – Paris (Le Bourget) – Northolt – Baldonnel	Finance
18/05/2009	18/05/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
18/05/2009	20/05/2009	350	Baldonnel – Frankfurt – Milan – Amsterdam – Baldonnel	Finance
27/05/2009	29/05/2009	190	Baldonnel – Brussels – Knock – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
08/06/2009	08/06/2009	200	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Finance/Health & Children
09/06/2009	09/06/2009	100	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Health & Children
13/09/2009	15/09/2009	250	Baldonnel – Vaxjo(Sweden) – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
21/09/2009	23/09/2009	810	Baldonnel – Teterboro – White Plains – Teterboro – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
17/09/2009	17/09/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
21/09/2009	21/09/2009	90	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Justice, Equality & Law Reform
30/09/2009	01/10/2009	240	Baldonnel – Landvetter(Sweden) – Baldonnel	Finance
29/10/2009	30/10/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/Foreign Affairs
19/11/2009	19/11/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
30/11/2009	02/12/2009	490	Baldonnel – Athens(Greece) – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
30/11/2009	30/11/2009	120	Baldonnel – Northolt – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/ Foreign Affairs
10/12/2009	11/12/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/MOS Taoiseach
07/12/2009	07/12/2009	180	Baldonnel – Shannon – Brussels – Shannon – Baldonnel	MOS Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
14/12/2009	14/12/2009	80	Baldonnel – Derry – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/ Transport & Marine/Social & Family Affairs/ Finance/ Foreign Affairs/ Education & Science / Tánaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)/ Agriculture, Fisheries & Food.

Appendix 1: Learjet 45 2009

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
14/01/2009	16/01/2009	280	Baldonnel – Prague – Baldonnel	Justice Equality & Law Reform
22/01/2009	22/01/2009	80	Baldonnel – Shannon – Baldonnel	Health
18/01/2009	18/01/2009	90	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
20/01/2009	20/01/2009	90	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
25/01/2009	26/01/2009	180	Baldonnel – Cork – Brussels – Baldoonel	Foreign Affairs
21/01/2009	21/01/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
29/01/2009	30/01/2009	130	Baldonnel – Northolt – Knock – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
19/02/2009	19/02/2009	45	Baldonnel – Cardiff – Baldonnel	Community Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
20/02/2009	20/02/2009	90	Baldonnel – Cardiff – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/Community Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
23/02/2009	23/02/2009	180	Baldonnel – Cork – Brussels – Cork – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
26/02/2009	26/02/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Justice Equality & Law Reform
27/02/2009	27/02/2009	80	Baldonnel – Shannon – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
01/03/2009	02/03/2009	770	Baldonnel – Cork – Bari – Sharm El Sheikh – Rome – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
04/03/2009	06/03/2009	195	Baldonnel – Brussels – Knock – Baldonnel	An Tanaiste (Enterprise Trade & Employment)
09/03/2009	09/03/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
11/03/2009	11/03/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
03/03/2009	03/03/2009	80	Baldonnel – Belfast (Aldergrove) – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
10/03/2009	10/03/2009	80	Baldonnel – Belfast (Aldergrove) – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs/Justice, Equality & Law Reform
23/03/2009	23/03/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
19/03/2009	19/03/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance/MOS Taoiseach
27/03/2009	28/03/2009	270	Baldonnel – Prague – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
30/03/2009	30/03/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	MOS Transport
26/03/2009	26/03/2009	80	Baldonnel – Belfast (Aldergrove) – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
02/04/2009	03/04/2009	135	Baldonnel – Prague – Baldonnel	Finance
09/04/2009	09/04/2009	75	Baldonnel – Cork – Knock – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
05/04/2009	05/04/2009	40	Baldonnel – Cork – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs

Appendix 1: Learjet 45 2009— continued

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
22/04/2209	22/04/2009	120	Baldonnel – Northolt – Heathrow – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
23/04/2009	24/04/2009	200	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
27/04/2009	27/04/2009	200	Baldonnel – Cork – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
30/04/2009	30/04/2009	200	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Health
04/05/2009	04/05/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
12/05/2009	12/05/2009	270	Baldonnel – Madrid – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
05/05/2009	06/05/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
13/05/2009	13/05/2009	295	Baldonnel – Prague – Shannon – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
15/05/2009	15/05/2009	35	Baldonnel – Cork – Knock – Baldonnel	An Tanaiste
25/05/2009	25/05/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
12/06/2009	12/06/2009	275	Baldonnel – Bydgoszcz(Poland) – Cork – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
11/06/2009	11/06/2009	130	Baldonnel – Heathrow – Belfast(Aldergrove) – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
08/06/2009	08/06/2009	120	Baldonnel – Cork – Northolt – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
14/06/2009	15/06/2009	200	Baldonnel – Cork – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
24/06/2009	26/06/2009	190	Baldonnel – Knock – Paris(Le Bourget) – Derry – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise,Trade & Employment)
18/06/2009	19/06/2009	220	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel – Cork – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/Foreign Affairs
21/06/2009	22/06/2009	200	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food / MOS Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
26/06/2009	28/06/2009	465	Baldonnel – Corfu – Thessaloniki – Corfu – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
05/07/2009	05/07/2009	125	Baldonnel – Jonkoping(Sweden) – Baldonnel	Health & Children
06/07/2009	06/07/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
07/07/2009	07/07/2009	265	Baldonnel – Jonkoping(Sweden) – Baldonnel	Social & Family Affairs/Health & Children/MOS Enterprise Trade & Employment
08/07/2009	09/07/2009	190	Baldonnel – Paris (Le Bourget) – Baldonnel	Education & Science
10/07/2009	10/07/2009	80	Baldonnel – Farranfore – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
15/07/2009	17/07/2009	310	Baldonnel – Stockholm – Cork – Baldonnel	Justice Equality & Law Reform
23/07/2009	24/07/2009	265	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Basel Mulhouse – Baldonnel	Transport

Appendix 1: Learjet 45 2009— continued

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
27/07/2009	27/07/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
27/08/2009	27/08/2009	60	Baldonnel – London (Heathrow) – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
04/09/2009	07/09/2009	1105	Baldonnel – Stockholm – Sofia – Cairo – Khartoum – Cairo – Rome – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
01/09/2009	02/09/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
14/09/2009	14/09/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
05/10/2009	05/10/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
07/10/2009	07/10/2009	120	Baldonnel – Northolt – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
19/10/2009	19/10/2009	200	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Finance/Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
26/10/2009	27/10/2009	200	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs/MOS Foreign Affairs
02/11/2009	02/11/2009	80	Baldonnel – Derry – Cork – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)
09/11/2009	09/11/2009	250	Baldonnel – Berlin – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
05/11/2009	06/11/2009	120	Baldonnel – Northolt – Heathrow – Cork – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs
12/11/2009	13/11/2009	130	Baldonnel – Jersey – Baldonnel	An Taoiseach/ Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
16/11/2009	17/11/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	MOS Foreign Affairs
25/11/2009	25/11/2009	80	Baldonnel – Belfast City – Baldonnel	Health & Children
30/11/2009	30/11/2009	90	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Justice, Equality & Law Reform
30/11/2009	30/11/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Health & Children/Justice, Equality & Law Reform
01/12/2009	01/12/2009	180	Dublin – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance / Health & Children
02/12/2009	02/12/2009	90	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Finance
07/12/2009	07/12/2009	220	Baldonnel – Cork – Brussels – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs / MOS Foreign Affairs
15/12/2009	16/12/2009	180	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel	Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
14/12/2009	14/12/2009	80	Baldonnel – Cork – Baldonnel	Health & Children

Appendix 1: Beechcraft 2009

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
29/01/2009	29/01/2009	45	Baldonnel – Belfast City – Baldonnel	Foreign Affairs

Appendix 1: CASA 2009

Date	Return Date	Min. Time On Board	Route	Minister
12/11/2009	12/11/2009	40	Baldonnel – Shannon – Baldonnel	Tanaiste (Enterprise, Trade & Employment)