Vol. 451 No. 7
118 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Defence the number of trips the Government's planes or helicopters have made to Farranfore Airport, County Kerry, during each of the years 1993 and 1994; the total cost of these journeys to the Irish taxpayers; and the purposes of these trips. [7138/95]
Air Corps aircraft, both fixed and rotary wing, made 79 flights in 1993 and 116 flights in 1994 to Kerry Airport, Farranfore. Those flights were either for military purposes, including training, or in response to requests from various Government Departments. The Department of Defence is not made aware of the specific purposes of Air Corps flights carried out at the request of other Departments.
The cost of Air Corps operations is met from various subheads of the Defence Vote. It is not the practice to cost individual flying operations as to do so would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work and would not serve any useful purpose.
