Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 November 2023
165. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to outline the process for ensuring that all US military aircraft which pass through Shannon Airport are not carrying weapons or munitions of war. [50253/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra176. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of exemptions permitting the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory that have been granted to US military aircraft from 2022 to date; and the destination of each aircraft which has been provided an exemption. [50255/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra203. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of US military aircraft that have refuelled in Shannon Airport to date in 2023; and the following destination for each aircraft. [50254/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 176 and 203 together.
Under the terms of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order, 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly, or land in, the State require diplomatic clearance from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Diplomatic clearance is subject to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation. This policy is well known and is fully understood by the United States and other international partners.
The carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory or on Irish-registered aircraft, wherever they may be, is the responsibility of the Minister for Transport. Under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders 1973 and 1989, it is expressly prohibited for civil aircraft to carry munitions of war in Irish sovereign territory, without being granted an exemption to do so from the Minister for Transport.
In considering any application for such an exemption in respect of munitions of war, the Department of Transport consults with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice to determine if there are foreign policy or security considerations to take into account. The process is robust and includes advice from my Department in respect of international humanitarian law, Ireland’s international obligations and our wider arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation policy. The Department of Transport regularly publishes information related to the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft on the gov.ie website.
In relation to the number of US military aircraft that have refuelled in Shannon in 2023, the Department of Foreign Affairs publishes statistics in relation to overflights and landings of foreign military and state aircraft on the Department’s website. This includes details on the number of US military aircraft that have entered Irish sovereign territory this year. It is the long-standing policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs not to disclose details relating to the specifics of diplomatic clearance requests, however, as such information is provided by Embassies in the expectation of the maintenance of confidentiality.
