The Department of Defence has signed a deal to buy a new long-range Government jet, with an expected delivery date of December 2025.
It is buying a French-made Falcon 6X at a cost of around €53m plus VAT.
The plane has a range of over 5,000 nautical miles, which means it can reach the west coast of the United States without the need to refuel.
The Government's previous aircraft, the Learjet, was beleagured with problems.
It broke down a number of times late last year, leaving then taoiseach Leo Varadkar stuck in Paris in November 2023 and then minister for higher education Simon Harris forced to abandon a plan to use the jet to attend a meeting in Brussels at the last minute in December 2023.
The 30-year-old Learjet was only used to carry out medical evacuations in 2024.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said that the Falcon 6X is "intended as a replacement to the Learjet" and will carry out all the functions that jet had previously undertaken.
A statement issued by the Department of Defence confirmed that a contract had been awarded for the new multi-purpose aircraft which would be used "in overseas missions across the globe".
It is expected that it will be available in time for Ireland's EU Presidency in the second half of 2026.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin described the new Government jet as "a game-changer for the State’s transport, airlift and medical capabilities".
"It will be used for a wide range of tasks, including the non-combatant evacuation of Irish citizens from critical situations, air-ambulance patient transfers, medical evacuation or repatriation of Irish Defence Forces personnel deployed on overseas missions and logistics support for the transport of supplies to Irish Defence Forces overseas missions," Mr Martin said.
"In addition, it will provide the independent and flexible air transport service which is an increasingly essential requirement to assist the government in meeting our national and international obligations," Mr Martin said.
Manufactured by Dassault Aviation SA, a French aerospace company, the Falcon 6X can carry up to 17 people, with a passenger capacity of 14.
It will be operated by the Irish Air Corps from Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnell.
The airframe is currently being built in the company’s production facility in Bordeaux, France.
