Bertie Ahern tops the league table of frequent flyers with more than 450 hours in the air since 2002, most of which was spent in the largest of the three government jets, a Gulf Stream IV which costs €5,500 an hour to operate. This means the taoiseach alone has clocked up about €2m in flight time.
Brian Cowen, the former minister for foreign affairs, came a close second, with Mary Harney, the tanaiste, third with almost 300 hours.
At the bottom of the list,was John O’Donoghue, whose portfolio includes tourism. He has barely got off the ground in the past three years, with only 13 hours aboard any of the three government jets.
The figures were released by the defence minister last week in response to a Dail question from Fergal O’Dowd, the Fine Gael TD. He believes private planes should be reserved for exceptional use, such as by the taoiseach and foreign minister.
“Obviously government business must get done,” said O’Dowd. “But it’s a hell of a lot of money and I’d like to be sure we’re getting value for it.
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“I can certainly understand the taoiseach and foreign minister needing them for diplomatic missions, but outside the EU presidency I would like to think they would try to fly by normal airlines where possible.”
During Ireland’s six-month presidency of the EU last year, government-jet flights cost about €3m.
Despite the glamourous image associated with private jet travel, the mainstay of the government fleet, a 12-year-old Gulf Stream IV, is more Lada than Lamborghini.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a Ryanair charter plane, but it’s not ostentatious,” said a Department of Defence spokesman. “The seats are leather and they’re comfortable, but there’s not much else. With a full complement of passengers, it gets a little crammed.”
The 14-seater jet was bought by Charles Haughey in 1991. The then taoiseach wanted it fitted with the best of Irish materials, including carpets and curtains, despite opposition claims that it was a “shameful waste of money”.
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At the launch it was opened to the media for inspection, but the only trappings to impress journalists were the lights around the bathroom mirror. It hasn’t been refurbished since.
In recent years the plane has become better known for breaking down, at enormous cost to the taxpayer. In 2001 it broke down in Washington, forcing the taoiseach to take a domestic shuttle flight and arrive a day late for a meeting with Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general.
On another occasion the pilot was forced to abort a landing in Dublin where it was meant to pick up the taoiseach.
Defence officials expressed relief at the lack of breakdowns during the EU presidency. A decision to replace the plane with a new 40-seater was abandoned two years ago following complaints about cost.
A €10m seven-seater Lear Jet, which was bought instead, operates at less than a fifth of the cost and has already seen 423 hours use by ministers, at €423,000.