Enda Kenny
Ceist:1 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the procedures in place in his Department for the use of the Government jet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19905/02]
Ceisteanna – Questions. - Ministerial Travel.
Joe Higgins
Ceist:2 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his Department's procedures for the use of the Government jet. [23555/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
The Gulfstream IV Government jet is part of the ministerial air transport service which is provided by the Air Corps to facilitate members of the Government in fulfilling their official engagements both at home and abroad. Use of the service requires my approval. Procedurally, requests for use of the service are made by Ministers' private secretaries to my office and are dealt with, in the first instance, by the staff of my office. Requests are examined by my staff with regard to the need and purpose of travel, the destination and other logistical details. Any necessary clarification or further information is sought at this point. All screened requests are then submitted to me for approval. Once approved, all operational matters are settled directly between the Minister in question and the Department of Defence or the Air Corps.
What age is the Government jet and how many flying hours has it done? What is its state of worthiness as an official jet for Government purposes? Is it true that arrangements have been made for the order and purchase of a further Government jet? Has anyone, other than Ministers and members of the Government, travelled on the jet and, if so, under what circumstances did that happen?
The question refers to the procedures for the use of the jet. The Deputy's questions might be a little outside that scope.
We are talking about Ministers and civil servants. Who else has travelled on it?
I do not have all the technical details. The jet was acquired in 1991 on a ten year agreement and was finally purchased last year. I do not know the number of flying hours it has done. It has probably reached a maximum number of flying hours given its purpose. The Gulfstream jet is used for ministerial service. It is the only aircraft used now. The Beechcraft is used infrequently – it was used only 12 times this year. The CASA aircraft is used in emergencies – it was used seven times this year. We have stopped giving approval for the use of helicopters in recent years. I stopped the use of helicopters after some events a few years ago. It is still used once a month on average by the President or by Ministers. It is well known that I do not use it for reasons which are also well known. It is used by Ministers, their spouses or partners, Ministers of State, authorised officials of the public service or other persons authorised to travel by the Taoiseach.
It is sometimes used by journalists who travel mainly on long trips. Journalists do not use it on short trips within Europe or on trips to normal meetings. The only times I have seen journalists use it are when they are travelling within countries in an attempt to cover visits. Journalists travelled on it when I visited Brazil and Argentina. However, they do not use it for normal trips. They went recently with the President to Africa. They are the only people who use the aircraft.
Does the Taoiseach know if any of the missing brandy and cigars finished up on the Government jet? Perhaps he will let the nation know about that. Is every trip which is intended to be made on the Government jet vetted in advance for cost? Is that part of the procedure? Has it been ascertained if it might be more cost-effective and cheap for the taxpayer for Ministers or the Taoiseach to take scheduled airline flights? Does the Taoiseach agree that should become part of the procedure, if it is not part of it already? Does he agree it is not possible to justify the tens of millions of euro spent on the Government jet in capital and running costs when the Government cannot afford a few million euro for the first-time buyer's grant?
Every trip is vetted if that is necessary. Guidelines are set down for destinations, justifying the route, the times, the passenger details and the purpose of travel. The officials in my office who deal with this issue follow procedure. They have always done that under successive Governments. If there is an alternative, such as a scheduled flight, they would refuse use of the jet. That has always been the system, which has worked well.
Our facilities are probably the worst in Europe, although I do not say that as a justification for it. However, our aircraft is in the ha'penny place compared to the others in terms of its capacity to cater for 14 people. I see that on every trip I make, although it does not worry me. The purpose of the mission is to get from one place to another.
Most Ministers and officials who attend European meetings travel early in the morning to places such as Luxembourg. It often takes two days to get back here. Most Ministers take early morning flights to Brussels where they do their day's work and then come back here. That has been the practice. I assure the Deputy that the ministerial air transport service or MATS, as it is called, is not abused. It is a tight operation. It is used to deal with a large number of international meetings, whether they are related to the UN, the OECD, the European Union or other international groups and organisations. People might think it is luxurious, but the opposite is the case. It is part of the hard grind which Ministers of all parties have had to endure in recent years. I praise the staff, but the comfort we have compared to what others have is minimal for a country of our size and status. It is not abused.
I apologise to Deputy Kenny for not answering one of his questions. He asked me about a second aircraft. Tenders were taken early last year when it became clear that the Beechcraft, which is approximately 25 years old, and CASA could not be used. There is no back-up. There was a prolonged period when the jet had technical difficulties and was out of action. We got costings which are still held in the Department, but a decision was not made. We will have to do that before the Irish Presidency in 2004 because I am not sure how we can run the Presidency without a back-up. There is no immediate need for it, but it will be necessary in 2004. If what happened last year happened during an Irish Presidency, we would be a laughing stock. We cannot allow that to happen.
The Irish Presidency in 2004 will be critical depending on whether, arising from the intergovernmental conference, another treaty emerges during it. Has there been any occasion in the past where the Government jet was used for the transportation of refugees back to their home country?
What is the cost effectiveness of travel arrangements organised by Departments other than the Taoiseach's? How does that cost effectiveness compare with that of his Department? I understand that €10,000 is the cost to hire a private jet to go to Nigeria. Will the Taoiseach say whether it would be more cost effective to use the Government jet? Has the Taoiseach had the chance or thought to measure the impact on greenhouse emissions of the Government jet and is there a way of offsetting that which the Taoiseach's Department could offer as an example to the rest of the Government? To do so would indicate that he is aware of the impact and has a plan to ameliorate it.
The last part of Deputy Sargent's question is a technical matter for the Department of Defence, but if there is something we can do, I am not averse to doing it. I will mention it, although the Department may already have looked at that. I am in favour of leading by example.
We try to avoid chartering jets because it is very costly. My role is to approve a visit, but the Department of Defence looks at the optimum mode of transport in the context of its requirements, including distance to be flown, size of the travelling party and the need to undertake internal flights in the country being visited. Requirements of flexibility in carrying out a programme can make it necessary to charter a plane and that is done through a tender process conducted by the Department of Defence. Planes have been chartered a number of times, but not too many and we avoid doing so unless it is absolutely necessary. A plane was chartered for the recent African journey mentioned by the Deputy on the advice that it was the most effective way for the President to make that trip in as short a period of time as possible. From my experience, we would rather stay with the Air Corps – whatever about its aircraft, we would always rather be with our own people.