TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has rejected suggestions that the Government jets should be scrapped.
"In the context of a government doing its business in the modern age there is a need for such facilities. They are only used where it is appropriate," he said yesterday.
Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said earlier he had no objection to the Taoiseach or the Minister for Foreign Affairs using Government aircraft, but Green Party Senator Deirdre de Búrca said it was time to get rid of the jets.
In an interview on RTÉ Radio, Mr Gormley told presenter Pat Kenny: "I'm not saying that my colleagues shouldn't use the Government jet. My colleagues, particularly the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have to use the Government jet, but I think most of us who are in government are now coming to the realisation that we can save a bit of money and I think other ministers as well, I know from speaking to them, we know that we can save a lot of money by going on commercial [ airlines]."
He confirmedthat he himself had used Ryanair to travel to the United Nations negotiations on climate change at the Polish city of Poznan in December.
"I haven't used the Government jet. I have had no reason to use it. And as I said I think there is that realisation now that a lot of money can be saved because I think up until now ministers have simply gone through an agency and some of the figures that have come back are a little bit too high, frankly."
The Minister added: "It's a relatively small issue."
However, Ms de Búrca said: "The time is right for the Government jets to go.
"The Government is making cutbacks across the board. The two, not one, but two, private Government jets are the biggest luxury of all. If we cannot afford to subsidise as many bus services as we would like, then we certainly do not need to subsidise private planes we don't even need.
"I am quite happy to fly using scheduled services from my local airport - Dublin airport. And so are my Green colleagues in Government."
Ms de Burca, who is a candidate in Dublin for the European elections said in a statement: "We can't afford them now and there is a question about whether we ever really needed them . . . I believe the planes should go.
"The private aircraft cost over €500,000 a year to maintain and that is before they are flown anywhere. When they take to the air they really start to burn . . . thousands of litres of fuel per hour."
