The European Commission says it has contacted the Government over the use of the EU-funded Casa fisheries protection aircraft, but denies it is investigating the circumstances of the flight made by the Tánaiste to Co Sligo last month.
A spokesman for the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Franz Fischler, yesterday said his office was verifying a Government assertion that the Casa aircraft could be used for other duties, including ministerial transport, if 90 per cent of the total flying time was on fisheries surveillance.
The EU cofinanced the purchase of the aircraft in 1994 and attached conditions similar to those applied to EU financing of Naval Service patrol ships. The Commissioner's spokesman said preliminary information suggested this deal allowed for 10 per cent "other duties" if the rest of the time was on fisheries patrol.
"If this is the case, then there is no problem with the Government using the planes for their own purposes, unless that 10 per cent quota was exceeded," the spokesman said.
Use of the aircraft by a Government minister for a private function was not a matter for the Commission, unless the quota was exceeded.
However, it emerged last night that the Tánaiste was the most frequent user of Air Corps helicopter transport last year, according to figures supplied by the Department of Defence. Ms Harney used Dauphin and Alouette helicopters 16 times, compared to twice by the Taoiseach and three times by the Minister for Agriculture.
The Tánaiste used the Casa twice last year including the trip to Sligo. The Casa was used five times by the Taoiseach and once each by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Marine, Agriculture and Defence.
The Department said only 2 per cent of the Casa's total flying time was on ministerial air transport. The two aircraft met the 90 per cent target for fisheries protection. It also noted the Government jet was out of service three times last year.
Last year the Casa was in another controversy when Defence confirmed it had authorised a trip by one of the two aircraft to the US to show its capabilities to the US Coast Guard.
