MINISTERIAL TRAVEL on the Government’s three aircraft has cost almost €2.73 million up to the end of November this year.

Ministers spent a total of 586.59 hours this year on the Gulfstream IV, Learjet and Beechcraft aircraft at a total cost of €2,726,953.83, according to Department of Defence figures.

The comparative figure for all of 2007 was €2,697,296.34. The 2008 price tag includes catering costs of €61,277.74 and toiletries costing €1,322.09.

Last year’s catering cost was €79,724.05 while €2,187.29 was spent on toiletries.

The Government’s Gulfstream jet is the most expensive to run at an average total cost of €7,100 an hour and most of ministerial flying time – 293.43 hours – was spent on this aircraft.

This amount includes maintenance, fuel and support services, personnel costs and depreciation.

Ministers spent 224 hours on the Learjet, which has an average total cost of €2,100 an hour, while 69.17 hours were spent on the seven-seater Beechcraft at a total hourly cost of €1,600.

Two weeks ago, the Gulfstream IV jet was forced to divert from Cork to Shannon, which has a longer runway, because of a technical fault, less than one month after it returned to service following a €1.8 million overhaul.

A refurbishment costing an additional €426,000 was also carried out.

Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea told the Dáil last week that the refurbishment, the first since the jet was bought in 1991, normally costs about €3.5 million.