Ministerial Travel

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 May 2012

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Ceisteanna (135, 136)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

136 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Defence the total cost to the Exchequer of the two Government jets since the Government came into office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23403/12]

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

137 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide in tabular form a detailed breakdown of each journey undertaken by each of the two Government jets; the purpose of each trip; the members of the Government or other Ministers present, if any, since this Government came into office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23404/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Defence (Deputy Alan Shatter)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together.

The Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) is primarily provided by the Gulfstream IV and Learjet 45 aircraft, which were specifically acquired for that purpose. The CASA maritime patrol aircraft have been used infrequently for Ministerial Air Transport missions where no MATS aircraft has been available for operational or technical reasons. Details of usage of the Ministerial Air Transport Service from 9 March 2011 to date in 2012 are set out in the tabular statement attached, and include details of the requesting Minister(s), dates of travel, mission route and Ministerial time on board. The purpose of each trip is a matter for the requesting Department and is not included in the statement. The details provided relate to requests from Government Ministers that have been approved by the Taoiseach.

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

The direct cost which includes 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 such as catering costs, cleaning services and airport handling charges.

The total cost which is the direct cost plus the costs associated with having the aircraft and includes depreciation and personnel costs.

Costs in 2011/12

	Average Direct Cost Per Hour €	Average Total Cost Per Hour €
Gulfstream	3,270	3,790
Learjet	1,940	4,200
CASA	2,800	4,210

These are average costs which take a number of variables into account. It is not possible to assign an exact cost to any particular mission or Minister.

GUILFSTREAM IV (From 9 March 2011 to date)

Date	Return Date	Ministerial Time On Board (Minutes)	Route	Minister
10/03/2011	12/03/2011	185	Baldonnel — Brussels — Knock — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
15/03/2011	18/03/2011	825	Baldonnel — Washington — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / Tánaiste Foreign Affairs
24/03/2011	25/03/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
12/04/2011	12/04/2011	200	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Tánaiste Foreign Affairs / Justice and Equality / MOS Foreign Affairs
17/04/2011	18/04/2011	120	Baldonnel — Northolt — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
04/05/2011	06/05/2011	810	Baldonnel — Teteboro — White Plains — Teteboro — Knock — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
09/06/2011	10/06/2011	200	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Justice and Equality
19/06/2011	19/06/2011	100	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Tánaiste Foreign Affairs
21/06/2011	22/06/2011	300	Baldonnel — Vienna — Baldonnel	Tánaiste Foreign Affairs
20/06/2011	20/06/2011	120	Baldonnel — Northolt — Stansted — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
23/06/2011	24/06/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / MOS Taoiseach
21/07/2011	21/07/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / MOS Taoiseach
25/09/2011	26/09/2011	420	Baldonnel — Algiers — Oran — Baldonnel	Agriculture, Marine and Food
29/09/2011	30/09/2011	330	Baldonnel — Warsaw — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
12/10/2011	13/10/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
22/10/2011	23/10/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Dublin	An Taoiseach / MOS Taoiseach
06/11/2011	07/11/2011	455	Baldonnel — Moscow — Baldonnel	Tánaiste Foreign Affairs
16/11/2011	16/11/2011	275	Baldonnel — Berlin — Frankfurt — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
30/11/2011	30/11/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Defence
07/12/2011	07/12/2011	345	Baldonnel — Vilnius — Baldonnel	Tánaiste Foreign Affairs
09/12/2011	09/12/2011	90	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / MOS Taoiseach
12/01/2012	12/01/2012	120	Baldonnel — Northolt — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
25/01/2012	27/01/2012	240	Baldonnel — Zurich — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
30/01/2012	30/01/2012	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / MOS Taoiseach
08/02/2012	09/02/2012	790	Baldonnel — Teteboro — Whiteplains — Teteboro — Dublin	An Taoiseach / Enterprise/Trade and Innovation
15/02/2012	17/02/2012	835	Baldonnel — Teteboro — White Plains — Teteboro — Boston — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
23/02/2012	24/02/2012	385	Baldonnel — Berlin — Rome — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
29/02/2012	02/03/2012	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / Finance / MOS Taoiseach
15/03/2012	21/03/2012	1,050	Baldonnel — Chicago — Southbend — Whiteplains — Washington — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
12/03/2012	12/03/2012	120	Baldonnel — Northolt — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
26/04/2012	27/04/2012	200	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Agriculture, Marine and Food / Justice and Equality

LEARJET 2011 (From 9 March 2011 to date)

Date	Return Date	Ministerial Time On Board (Minutes)	Route	Minister
13/03/2011	14/03/2011	230	Baldonnel — Shannon — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance / Environment, Heritage and Local Government
21/03/2011	21/03/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance / MOS Foreign Affairs
07/04/2011	09/04/2011	330	Baldonnel — Budapest — Baldonnel	Finance
16/05/2011	17/05/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance / MOS Taoiseach
20/05/2011	20/05/2011	80	Baldonnel — Cork — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach
07/06/2011	07/06/2011	100	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Agriculture, Marine and Food
11/07/2011	12/07/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance
15/09/2011	17/09/2011	290	Baldonnel — Wroclaw — Baldonnel	Finance
22/09/2011	23/09/2011	360	Baldonnel — Brussels — Wroclaw — Brussels — Baldonnel	Defence / Justice and Equality
03/10/2011	04/10/2011	200	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Finance
21/10/2011	22/10/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance
26/10/2011	26/10/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	An Taoiseach / MOS Taoiseach
07/11/2011	08/11/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance
24/11/2011	25/11/2011	280	Baldonnel — Poznan — Baldonnel	Public Expenditure and Reform
29/11/2011	30/11/2011	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance
11/01/2012	12/01/2012	300	Baldonnel — Vienna — Baldonnel	Tánaiste (Foreign Affairs)
18/01/2012	18/01/2012	250	Baldonnel — Berlin — Baldonnel	Finance
23/01/2012	24/01/2012	250	Baldonnel — Brussels — Frankfurt — Baldonnel	Finance
26/01/2012	29/01/2012	725	Baldonnel — Naples — Tel Aviv — Naples — Baldonnel	Tánaiste (Foreign Affairs)
09/02/2012	09/02/2012	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance
20/02/2012	21/02/2012	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	MOS Finance
24/02/2012	24/02/2012	385	Baldonnel — Tunis — Baldonnel	Tánaiste (Foreign Affairs)
08/03/2012	09/03/2012	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Environment, Community and Local Government
12/03/2012	13/03/2012	180	Baldonnel — Brussels — Baldonnel	Finance
29/03/2012	30/03/2012	240	Baldonnel — Copenhagen — Baldonnel	Finance
23/04/2012	23/04/2012	200	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Tánaiste (Foreign Affairs)

CASA (From 9 March 2011 to date)

Date	Return Date	Ministerial Time On Board (Minutes)	Route	Minister
27/10/2011	27/10/2011	330	Baldonnel — Luxembourg — Baldonnel	Justice and Equality