THE GOVERNMENT jet was forced to divert from Cork to Shannon airport on its return from Georgia last week because of a technical fault, less than a month after it returned to service following a €1.8 million overhaul.

Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea told Labour spokesman Brian O'Shea that the Gulfstream IV jet, carrying Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin among others, was on the runway at Tbilisi when a warning light indicated a hydraulic fault.

The crew contacted the Gulfstream company in the US, took advice and then "isolated the problem and sorted it out".

On the journey home "another warning light flashed which indicated there was a problem with the wheel brakes".

The jet was diverted from Cork to Shannon, which has a longer runway, but the brakes worked perfectly upon landing. A malfunctioning light caused the problem, said Mr O'Dea during Dáil questions. The wiring system and the hydraulics are under examination and a new part is being fitted.

Mr O'Shea had asked if the jet showed any major faults during its annual maintenance and inspection service in the US in July.

The Minister said the jet, which flies 660 hours annually, had a "quite extensive" maintenance because of mandatory checks.

"Essential repairs to the interior which had not been renovated since the aircraft was first acquired 17 years ago, were also undertaken," costing €1.8 million and resulted in extended "downtime". The repairs included re-covering cabin seats, restoration work on the seat-belts, new carpets and refinishing of cabin ledges, console tables and the conference table. Mr O'Dea said the interior had not been changed since 1991. It normally cost about €3.5 million, but they had spent €426,000.