Minister defends jet aircraft purchase decision

Defence minister Michael Smith today defended his Government’s decision to buy a multi-million pound jet aircraft.

Michael Smith dismissed reports that the plane would cost €100m and said he would do the best possible deal for the taxpayer.

He also said it would not mean the Government ending up with a fleet of three aircraft.

“I’m going to approach this project in the most sensible way that I possibly can,” he said.

Mr Smith said it was not possible to give an estimate of how much the jet would cost, but agreed that it would probably be less than €50m.

“We are not going to indicate to anyone who’s going to give us an expression of interest the kind of money that we would be prepared to spend,” he said in a radio interview. “That would be showing our hand.

“We will be able to purchase an aircraft at a price which will stagger some of the people that are criticising us at the present time.”

He said that one of the Government’s two current aircraft – the Gulfstream 4 - may be sold against the purchase of the new jet, but said this was just one of a number of options.

Dinny McGinley, opposition Fine Gael spokesperson on justice, said it was “amazing” the Government would not disclose the cost of the jet.

“I think there is a lot of information being concealed here,” he said.

He said he believed the present Gulfstream jet, which has 8,000 flying hours on the clock, was still suitable for use.

The Government came under fire from opposition parties last night after it announced that a larger jet should be bought, with the aim of getting it into service before the start of Ireland’s EU presidency next January.

Labour Party’s Transport spokesperson, Roisin Shortall, said it was extraordinary that the Government could find money for a new jet at a time when the public was being asked to accept endless cutbacks and increases in the cost of public services.

The 14-seat Gulfstream has suffered a series of embarrassing breakdowns in recent months.

Last year Taoiseach Bertie Ahern missed a meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan when the plane broke down in Washington.

Last month, Mr Ahern’s departure from an official visit to Mexico was delayed due to another breakdown, and a few weeks ago an air-taxi had to be hired at short notice to take him to Portugal after another technical problem.