Government jet not used for trip to Cop26, says Taoiseach

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he did not use the Government jet to fly to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Mr Martin said “to be frank”, the State aircraft is not used regularly because of the frequent need for maintenance.

The Taoiseach spent two days at the global conference but said he and his team stayed in Edinburgh because Glasgow was so busy.

He was responding to Independent TD Michael McNamara who referenced Mr Martin’s remarks last week about “action instead of rhetoric”.

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There has been much criticism of political and business leaders flying in and out of Glasgow on private jets to a climate-change gathering and the Clare TD asked the Taoiseach to confirm he did not use the Government jet “in the context of carbon emissions from private jets”.

Mr McNamara said that Glasgow is a city relatively easy to get to from Ireland and could be reached by train and ferry, with five commercial flights from Dublin.

He also asked the Taoiseach to confirm “much more importantly”, that the jet would no longer be used “where there is a feasible alternative in the form of commercial flights to the city of destination”.

Mr Martin said “I did not use the Government jet to go to Glasgow. Given the sheer number of people staying in the city, we stayed in Edinburgh and made the journey down. There are enormous crowds in Glasgow for Cop26, with enormous interest from NGOs” and others.

He added that the Government jet is not being used that frequently, “not by design, to be frank, because we do need to get to meetings and get back to be in this House and elsewhere, but because of its frequent need for maintenance”.