asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) if any requests have been made by his Department for British aircraft or helicopters in the period 1970-79 inclusive, if so, the number of requests, the date and type of aircraft/helicopter, with a breakdown of such requests under the following headings: (i) air-sea rescue missions (ii) other rescue missions, (iii) ambulance or casualty movement, (iv) transport or other, (b) if such flights over Irish territory require his Department's permission, where the requests are not made by his Department; and (c) the details of all over-flights made in the same period by foreign aircraft/helicopters, with the nationality, the date, the type of aircraft, and the reason for the overflight.
Written Answers. - British Aircraft and Helicopter Movements.
199.
(a) I am not aware of any such requests.
(b) Under the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 no foreign military aircraft may fly over or land in the State without the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs except in the circumstances stated in Article 5 of the Order.
(c) I regret that the required information, involving as it does an enormous number of routine over-flights over a period of ten years, could not be compiled without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and effort.