Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The last question is a matter for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney. I will let the Deputy take that up with him.

Regarding an aircraft carrier or troop carrier proposed to be used for bringing troops back and forward and transporting troops back and forward, at the moment every second rotation is either an Irish rotation, which involves my Department, or a United Nations rotation. We share the rotation, taking every second one. My understanding is that the current rotation is a UN rotation. I can come back to the Deputy and give him clarification on that. When we are doing a rotation, we put it out to airline carriers and they tender for it. There is an abundance of carriers that tender for the contract. I presume we give it to the most secure one, but price comes into it too. I presume there is a kind of scoring sheet like for any tendering document. My understanding is that different carriers have been used in the past. My understanding is that this has never let us down, except on one occasion when a mobile telephone fell between the seating into the electricals. This delayed one of the rotations by one or two days because it was unsafe for the aircraft to lift off at the time. I do not recollect that a specific aircraft was delayed or its availability was delayed in the rotation.

I have said that it would be fantastic to have it, but we have to be able to explain to the taxpayers of Ireland the reason we are getting it. It is not as simple as going out, buying an aircraft, parking it down at Baldonnel and using it specifically for the Defence Forces. We have to look at dual use by Departments, including Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade humanitarian work and so on. We will have that discussion at a later date. I presume the next Government will be making that decision.

I only had one European Council meeting last week. I can come back to the Deputy on the specific issue he raised.

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