The Government hired a private jet at a cost of €35,000 to fly the Taoiseach to Prague yesterday after the Government's own Gulfstream aircraft broke down on the eve of the trip.
It was the latest in a series of breakdowns suffered by the jet. The Government has sought to highlight all recent breakdowns, leading to speculation that they are seeking to condition public opinion to accept the purchase of a new jet.
Mr Ahern flew to Prague yesterday morning for a meeting with the Czech Prime Minister and several trade functions on an air-taxi from Irish company company Atron. A Government spokeswoman said yesterday that "two or three" officials were left behind in Dublin as the hired jet - a Falcon 50 - contains just 10 seats compared with the 14 on the Government aircraft.
Mr Ahern is believed to be increasingly keen on replacing the current aircraft on the grounds that the 14-seater is too small. He is also unhappy with the reliability problems.
The latest breakdown involves a faulty fuel booster pump. The plane is grounded pending the arrival of a new pump.
This follows the breakdown of the jet in Mexico less than a fortnight ago as the Taoiseach was preparing to return home from an official visit.
A Department of Defence spokesman said yesterday the jet had "a 98 per cent reliability rate".