The total number of flights approved is 1,200, which includes all aircraft, not just helicopters. In recent years the use of helicopters has declined fairly dramatically. They are no longer used that much.
The guidelines under which the officials work are set down and fairly detailed. A request for a long flight has to be lodged a considerable period of time before the required date. In the case of a European flight, the request must be made one week before the date. If the flight is internal, the notice period is shorter, but officials endeavour to ensure the request is made one week in advance.
The procedure is that the private secretaries to Ministers and Ministers of State first apply to my officials who make a judgment. If the flight is to Brussels or whichever country holds the Presidency of the European Union, there is an effort to amalgamate arrangements to limit the number of flights and facilitate Ministers and Ministers of State who would normally travel at the same time. If a request is cleared by officials, I will formally clear it. It is then formally sent to the Department of Defence for clearance.
An application must formally include details such as the date and time of departure, the destination, the required arrival time, whether the departure is critical in order that flights can be combined, the date and time of return, airports, the number and names of passengers, outward journeys and a contact name should there be a change due to weather or travel arrangements. Officials make an initial judgment and requests approved at that stage are sent to me for formal approval. The request must then be matched up with the Department of Defence. It is not always possible for the Air Corps to meet a request because of maintenance or the limited number of aircraft. However, it provides the service to the best of its ability.
We try to use the MATS sparingly for internal flights, but no one will be able to use it during an election unless he or she is going on official business outside the country to an EU meeting which has to take place. People will only be able to use the service in those circumstances.