Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has said she understands public concerns over costs incurred transporting ministers and confirmed that one of the Government jets is being repaired.

Department of Defence documents released last May showed that the 23-year-old Gulfstream IV aircraft would be grounded if the need for any non-routine maintenance or other major repair arose.

Ms Fitzgerald today said she was anxious the Government dealt with the issue of ministerial transport in a “cost efficient way” when asked about the issue at a press conference.

“What I’m saying is the jet needs to be repaired and that’s what happening at present, and I would want to see the most cost effective decision taken in relation to the future use of ministerial transport,” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald said if a decision was taken that the jet had to be replaced for reasons of safety, “clearly we would want to do what’s most cost efficient and effective in terms of the use of ministerial transport where it’s deemed to be necessary”.

She said she could understand public concern over incurring such costs, and “as a Government it’s not something we would want to do. We would want to ensure there is safe transport available in the most cost efficient way”.

The Gulfstream IV aircraft has amassed 13,110 flying hours in almost two-and- a-half decades in service. The second Government jet is the Learjet.

Between March 2011 and the end of March 2014 the current Government spent €4.4 million on the Ministerial Air Transport Service. Of the 218 trips made in this time, 110 were taken on the Gulfstream at a cost of €2.6 million

The Minister was speaking at Government Buildings at a press conference to launch new regulations for the English language school sector.