Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of times each Government Minister has requested usage of the ministerial air transport service for each of these years 2010 and 2011 and to date in 2012; the location of each trip; the cost of each of these trips; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14492/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Ministerial Air Transport Service 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.

Helicopters have been used on occasion for Ministerial air transport in situations where, for operational reasons, fixed wing aircraft may not have been available or suitable for a particular mission.

Details of usage of the Ministerial Air Transport Service for 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012 are set out in the following tabular statement, and include details of the requesting Minister(s), dates of travel, mission route and Ministerial time on board. 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:

Costs in 2010:

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.