Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Defence the total cost to the state of flying military missions over bogs as part of its inspection regime to ensure compliance with the ban on turf cutting in protected areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22370/12]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Defence the amount of money that has been spent by his Department from 20 February 2012 to 25 April 2012 on deploying Defence Forces aircraft to spy on bogs to see if turf is being cut; the number of flying hours that have been incurred on these missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22462/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 244 together.

In accordance with the roles assigned to them in the White Paper on Defence, the Air Corps are committed to providing support to the civil authorities including Government Agencies such as the National Park & Wildlife Service, (NPWS). As part of the efforts to ensure Ireland's compliance with the EU ban on turf cutting in Special Areas of Conservation, the NPWS submitted a request to the Department of Defence seeking the transport of NPWS personnel in Air Corps aircraft to monitor these areas. The Department of Defence follows the normal practice in the aviation business of costing aircraft by reference to the cost per flying hour. For these missions, the Cessna aircraft has been used and the average hourly direct cost of operating this aircraft which include fuel and maintenance costs is €185. The cost to-date in 2012 of providing assistance to the NPWS is €13,690, (based on approximately 74 hours of flying time).