Government ruled out buying second-hand jet saying a good deal was too hard to get

The government ruled out buying a second-hand executive jet to fly the President, Taoiseach, and ministers around the world, saying it was too hard to get a good deal on a used plane.

In a business case supporting the purchase of a €53 million Dassault Falcon 6X jet, officials said buying it would actually save the taxpayer money through its occasional use as an air ambulance and for emergency evacuations.

It said the new jet would also save €500,000 if ministers and officials did not have to wait in queues for commercial airlines.

A further €17.8 million would be clawed back through the “enhanced time period available for work on a private flight relative to [a regular journey].”

It said one of the biggest savings would come from not having to charter private jets, which the Department of Defence believed could cost upwards of €41 million over the coming years.

Overall, the business case said the benefits of buying a brand-new executive jet would come to €113 million…