Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is very simple. As I have explained and as Deputy Gilmore is aware, the Taoiseach of the day authorises the use of the jet. When the jet takes off from Baldonnel on its ministerial visit or other trip, the decisions on whatever technical issues or operational details that arise are taken by the flight personnel themselves. The Department of Defence holds the records and if people have any queries on those records they put the question to the Department of Defence. No Taoiseach of the day is involved in clearance of the subsequent details that arose. The question that arises in the first instance is the authorisation by the Taoiseach of the use of the Government jet for the trip to America.

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