Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Minister for Defence the full cost of his visits to Cyprus, the Lebanon and Israel for St Patrick's Day earlier this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46635/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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During the period 9 to 15 March 2013, I visited Lebanon and Israel in a comprehensive St Patrick’s Day programme in the Middle East. My main purpose in travelling to Lebanon was to visit the Irish troops serving as part of a joint Irish/Finnish battalion with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). I was accompanied on this trip by the Chief of Staff, three officials from my Department and three officers of the Defence Forces. The costs incurred amount to €15,309 and primarily relate to commercial flight costs, accommodation and subsistence expenses and do not include the costs of the Ministerial Air Transport Service which are set as fellows. The Ministerial Air Transport Service provided by the Air Corps was used for the overseas travel programme for St. Patrick’s Day as follows:

- 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.

The average direct cost per hour for the Gulfstream is €3,270. The average total cost per hour for the Gulfstream is €3,790. 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.