Written answers
Wednesday, 9 February 2005
Department of Defence
Ministerial Transport
9:00 pm
Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Defence the occasions between June 2002 and September 2004 on which the Government jet was used to carry the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to conferences and trips abroad; the destination and duration of the trips; the number of persons carried on each occasion; and the total cost of each of the trips, including personnel and accommodation costs. [4093/05]
Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The following table outlines the occasions on which the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government availed of the ministerial air transport service between June 2002 and September 2004, the destination and duration of each trip and the number of persons carried on each occasion.
| Date | Mission Details | Flying Time | Aircraft | Number of persons carried |
| 30/05/02-01/06/02 | Baldonnel-New York-Baldonnel | 13 hours 5 minutes | Gulfstream IV | 4 |
| 20/07/02 | Billund(Denmark)-Cork-Dublin | 2 hours 30 minutes | Gulfstream IV | 2 |
| 20/10/02-21/10/02 | Dublin-Rotterdam- Dublin | 3 hours | Gulfstream IV | 13 |
| 10/12/03 | Baldonnel-Geneva-Milan | 2 hours 55 minutes | Gulfstream IV | 7 |
| 01/03/04 | Baldonnel-Brussels | 1 hour 30 minutes | Learjet 45 | 7 |
| 18/04/04 | Baldonnel-Paris | 1 hour 35 minutes | Gulfstream IV | 10 |
| 27/06/04- 28/06/04 | Baldonnel-Luxembourg-Baldonnel | 3 hours 30 minutes | Learjet 45 | 7 |
The total flying cost of the Gulfstream IV is calculated as €5,550 per hour, which includes fuel, handling, maintenance, depreciation and personnel costs. Themanufacturer's estimated direct hourly flying cost for the Learjet 45 is approximately €1,000 per hour — a more detailed costing is not yet available for this aircraft, which came into service in January 2004.
The personnel and accommodation costs incurred by the Minister and his travelling party are a matter for the Minister's own Department. Where Air Corps personnel are required to overnight as part of a mission, they are reimbursed for accommodation and subsistence at standard Defence Forces rates.
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