Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

MATS is delivered primarily by the use of the Learjet 45 aircraft, which came into operation in 2004. However, other Air Corps aircraft may also be used. My Department has contracted an air taxi contingency arrangement, which provides for the short-term charter of crewed jet aircraft, to augment the existing Ministerial Air Transport Service operated by the Air Corps. This arrangement will be utilised on occasions when the military aircraft currently operated by the Air Corps are unavailable or unsuitable for a particular mission.

The final cost for the Taoiseach's trip to the Balkan region by air taxi is currently not available, I will arrange to have same forwarded when available.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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151. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide a schedule of official flights and costs of same taken by him in 2023; if a schedule will be provided of all hotels he stayed in in 2023, including hotel name and cost per night while on official State business; and if the same information will be provided in respect of all accompanying staff and advisors. [2639/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The table below provides details and schedule of costs paid by the Department of Defence for official flights taken and hotels stayed in during 2023 by myself along with accompanying staff and advisors.