Government will continue to use commercial airlines to travel to US – Taoiseach

'Generally transatlantic, we tend not to use the Government jet, we tend to use the tried and trusted method. There is a cost element, but it is not the matter that dominates the Government agenda.' Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The Government will continue to use commercial airlines to travel across the Atlantic, despite Taoiseach Micheál Martin missing a meeting with US President Joe Biden this week.

Amid increasing unreliability with Ireland’s short-range Learjet, Mr Martin said the Department of Defence and the Air Corps were reviewing the need for a replacement.

“We have a Government jet which operates the shutting over to Brussels and London and it is very efficient and effective in terms of getting to meetings and not wasting time for ministers working on behalf of the Irish people,” he said.

“That jet has had its challenges, put it that way. But that is something the department of Defence and the Air Corps are reviewing,” he added.

But he made clear the practice of flying with Aer Lingus when travelling to the United States would continue.

“But generally transatlantic, we tend not to use the Government jet, we tend to use the tried and trusted method. There is a cost element, but it is not the matter that dominates the Government agenda,” he said.

Speaking about his own flight, he paid tribute again to pilot Karl Quinn and the crew who handled the bird strike incident over Mayo, which forced the flight to return to Dublin.

“In fairness to what happened last evening, these things happen, in terms of a bird strike, that can happen, that’s aviation. All credit to Aer Lingus in terms of securing an alternative credit.

“The Irish Examiner can pay testament to how calm everyone was and I’d like to pay credit to Aer Lingus on this occasion, their valued crew handled the situation professionally and calmly,” he said.