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TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has confirmed that he has signed off on the plan to buy a new Government jet.
The Learjet which is used to fly the Taoiseach and other senior ministers is reaching its natural “end of life cycle”, Martin told the Dáil.
“There have been issues with the Learjet no point saying otherwise. There have been serious issues with it.
“I’m not prepared to stand over it. And in my view, a replacement jet is required,” he said.
Last year, The Journal reported that the Government was advised that a replacement plane was needed following a number of technical issues with the Learjet.
The Government jet has suffered technical problems, forcing the Taoiseach at the time to avail of a CASA maritime patrol aircraft to ferry him back from Brussels on one occasion.
The Air Corps Learjet was purchased in 2004 and has been in operation since then. It only has the capacity to fly to the European region and does not travel long-haul.
The Tánaiste, who is also the Minister for Defence, said today that he has now approved a recommendation made by officials to purchase a new jet, indicating that the new plane should be able to travel longer distances.
Government ministers fly on commercial aircraft when traveling to the US, for example.
Ultimately, he said the State needs a replacement aircraft that provides a strategic reach in crisis situations, medical evacuation, as well as ministerial air transport.
Referring to the instance where the Irish Government was scrambling to evacuate people from Afghanistan, Martin said the State was dependent on other governments to help.
He said the plane should be able to get to locations where Irish citizens need to be evacuated quickly.
“That strategic reach is important… the medical transport and medical evacuation is important,” he added.
He said officials will now move to progress to procurement phase, however, this is set to take between two to three years, according to Government sources.
Martin said he believed now was the time to kick off the procurement process, stating that ”future governments” will benefit from the new aircraft, rather than the current government ministers.
It is understood that the Government is looking to purchase a ten-seater aircraft. Leasing an aircraft was ruled out due to it costing the taxpayer more money in the long term, it is believed.
While no cost has been attached yet to the new purchase, sources state smaller aircraft cost around €50 million, so the cost of the new ten-seater plane could exceed this amount.
A project team is currently being established and planning for the procurement competition will commence shortly, said Martin.
The procurement process will consider both new and second-hand replacement aircrafts, added the Tánaiste.
The Government once had two jets, but the Gulfstream IV plane was sold in 2017 for €418,000.
There was controversy at the time over the sale price, given that the jet was valued at somewhere in the region of €750,000. It was bought in 1992 for €45 million.
In addition, the Government has also laid down a deposit on a new cargo aircraft for the Irish Air Corps, which would carry troops and vehicles to foreign military missions and rescue stranded Irish citizens.
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And it’s long overdue for Cork to have a seat at the United Nations. And a permanent seat on the security council to be held by Roy Keane in perpetuity.
@Seán: we have the last spot to limerick. Senator Blindboy wouldn’t approve
US sticking it’s nose where is doesn’t belong agian. What a surprise
@Mark Duffy: you could indeed. But what business is of the US what China decides to do? Didn’t see China interfere with the US invasion of the middle East. Seems the US has decided it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else.
@Roy Dowling: look what the US tried and failed to do with Cuba LOL if it wasn’t for the bleededn communist Russians they would of had there where way, US backed forces were slaughtered during ‘bay of the pigs’ same way the US backed Chinese nationals fled to form modern day Taiwan after the Civil war
@Mark Duffy: has the US ever actually helped a nation in the name of democracy? And not because it has expansive natural resources ?name one?
@Mark Duffy: Tawain isn’t a sovereign nation weather you want to admit it or not. Just because they want to be doesn’t make it so. The US has no business getting involved in what is essentially an internal matter for the Chinese.
@Roy Dowling: China no longer has to lower itself to the US, they are on par with them if anything and could go head to head in war with them, it wasn’t possible 2 decades ago, now it is
@Damon16: with the state of the health service here in Ireland i won’t be here in 20yrs time
@Alan Peters: Japan and Germany. That’s 2.
@Jonathan Baum: they helped Japan after detonating an atomic bomb because they seen it as a base in their paranoia against communism
@Jonathan Baum: why doesnt the US have a history of helping out struggling African nations? Bar taking slaves, because the European colonies stripped them of their natural resources and its not worth their their time, the middle east is a different story they can get something out of there
@Mark Duffy: a nations right to self determination? So you agree Israel is a sovereign country? Can Scotland just leave the UK tomorrow because its decides it’s now independent.? Taiwan is part of China that’s just a fact. A losing side of a civil war who retreated to Taiwan can’t just decide its now independent.
@Mark Duffy: Republic of Ireland isn’t part of the Uk.
@Mark Duffy: doesn’t matter if they decided it now or 40 years ago. You can’t just claim to be independent. Just like Scotland can’t it needs to hold a vote and the UK has to agree to let them have a vote otherwise there not legally independent.
@Donal McCarthy: Didn’t say they to submit to Chinese rule because of the Americans. I Said the Americans have no right to interfere big difference. You say Taiwan has a right to self determination. Does Israel not have the same right to self determination?
@Roy Dowling: well spotted ;)
Its all geopolitics… Divide and conquer. The UK split Ireland in 2. They did the same with India and Pakistan. If you look at the middle east they did the very same with Syria, Iraq and Turkey with the Kurdish people. The west was also involved in splitting North Korea and South Korea, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Taiwan is something similar, its a massive security risk for China. The UK and the US are sending war ships into Taiwan stirring tensions and its not by accident.
Can you imagine the outrage if Ireland became best friends with China and Russia and we invited ships with lots of weapons to dock in Dublin and Wexford and they pointed their shiny new weapons at London. I don’t think the UK would be too happy.
@Jonathan Baum: By the ‘world’ you mean the USA and the rump colonial powers of western Europe. The ‘world’ is happy to trade with China.
Biggest mistake was Nixon ever establishing diplomatic relations with China. One they did it, other followed suit . Lithuania has guts.
Taiwan is China. Falklands is Argentina.
have your say