TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has had to make alternative travel arrangements to get to Brussels tomorrow due to the government’s Learjet and the Air Corps PC-12 plane being out of action.
It is understood the government has now had to lease a private jet for the Taoiseach and his delegation who are travelling to a European Council meeting tomorrow.
A government spokesperson told The Journal this evening:
“The current Government Ministerial Air Transport is the Learjet. The Department of Defence is currently working on the procurement process to acquire a new aircraft for the Ministerial Air Transport Service. Where the Learjet is not available, for serviceability or other reasons, contingency arrangements are put in place.
This will be the case tomorrow for the Taoiseach’s travel arrangements and is in line with the policy requirements for a Head of State.
This is the second time in a week that there have been issues with government officials travelling.
Earlier in the week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin was stranded in Luxembourg as a result of a problem with the Air Corps plane, when he was due to travel home on from a European Foreign Affairs meeting.
He was forced to travel home on a commercial flight as a result of the problem.
It resulted in Martin missing the coalition leaders meeting on Monday evening and much of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
It is understood there is unease at the situation, with concerns about the costs building up if government officials need to regularly lease private aircraft to get to engagements around Europe.
Meanwhile senior sources have said the current situation is “not practical”, stating a new government plane is badly needed.
Earlier this year, the Tánaiste signed off on plans to purchase a new government jet, however it is understood the procurement process is taking longer than expected.
Martin told the Dáil in February that the Learjet which is used to fly the Taoiseach and other senior ministers is reaching its natural “end of life cycle”.
The Air Corps Learjet was purchased in 2004 and has been in operation since then. However, it is in regular need of repairs and often not useable, which is why the Air Corp aircrafts are drafted in.
Government sources have said the procurement of the new jet could take two to three years, meaning that it will not be of benefit to the current government.
It is understood that the government is looking to purchase a ten-seater aircraft.
Leasing an aircraft was previously ruled out due to it costing the taxpayer more money in the long term, it is believed. However, with all aircraft currently grounded, officials have had no choice but to lease an aircraft for tomorrow’s European Council meeting.
While no cost has been attached yet to the purchase of a new jet, sources state smaller aircraft cost around €50 million, so the cost of the new ten-seater plane could exceed this amount.
The Government once had two jets, but the Gulfstream IV plane was sold in 2017 for €418,000.
There was controversy at the time over the sale price, given that the jet was valued at somewhere in the region of €750,000. It was bought in 1992 for €45 million.