It cost nearly €500,000 to send the Taoiseach and government ministers around the world on private aircraft, in the first eight months of this year.
Flights for one trip cost about €47,000.
While the government normally uses commercial flights for air travel, the government jet - known as Learjet - and the Air Corps' Casa aircraft are used when necessary.
Last year the total cost of flights on these aircraft for the Taoiseach and other ministers was over €222,000.
However, in the first eight months of this year, that increased to over €482,000 - involving 32 flights.
The most expensive journey this year was Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe's trip to Greece and Cyprus in July, at a cost of about €47,000.
The Department of Finance says partly related to his role as president of the Eurogroup.
The Department of Defence says the level of flights to date this year is in keeping with the years before the Covid pandemic.
