Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the ministerial air transport services operations undertaken in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15973/18]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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153. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the details of meetings by the MATS review group; when the review group will publish its report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15974/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together.

The Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) provides the Government and the President with an independent and flexible air transport service to assist in meeting national and international obligations. The Service has been primarily provided by the Learjet 45 aircraft and information in relation to Ministerial Air Transport is available publicly via a link entitled Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) on the Department of Defence homepage at www.defence.ie.

Following a Government decision taken in 8 July 2014, an inter-departmental high-level Group was established to review options, in accordance with the public spending code, for the future provision of the Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS). This Review Group comprises representatives from the Department of Defence, the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. When the Group has completed its work, I will bring a Report to Government with recommendations on how best to provide a MATS service into the future.