Written answers
Friday, 16 December 2016
Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
Ministerial Travel
Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total use his Department has made of the Government jet since coming into office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40680/16]
Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total use his Department has made of the Government jet per annum from March 2011 to February 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40697/16]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together.
My Department made use of the government jet on eight occasions during the period March 2011 to February 2016, details of which are as follows:
| Outbound | Inbound | Destination | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13/03/2011 | 14/03/2011 | Brussels | Meeting of EU Environment al Council of Ministers |
| 08/03/2012 | 09/03/2012 | Brussels | Meeting of EU Environment al Council of Ministers |
| 01/10/2012 | 01/10/2012 | Brussels | European Environmental Bureau Annual Conference |
| 03/04/2014 | 03/04/2014 | Brussels | Council of Europe Committee on Democratic Governance |
| 06/07/2014 | 07/07/2014 | Kiev | Inauguration of President Poroshenko, Ukraine |
| 19/05/2015 | 20/05/2015 | Strasbourg | EU Parliament Plenary session |
| 14/06/2015 | Return was on a commercial flight | Luxembourg | Meeting of EU Environment al Council of Ministers |
| 16/12/2015 | 16/12/2015 | Brussels | Meeting of EU Environment al Council of Ministers |
My Department has not made use of the government jet since the current Government came into office.
On the rare occasion the use of the Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) is required by my Department, they will take into account the relevant cost of the MATS to possible alternatives and submit an application, including a justification for the need to use the government jet, the destination, route, timings, passenger details and purpose of travel, to the Taoiseach in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1.19 of the Cabinet Handbook.
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