Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2015
634. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of occasions that either he, or an authorised person, entered and inspected an aircraft at Shannon Airport, for the purpose of ensuring that the flight was not in breach of Articles 6 and 7 of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order, as provided for in the order. [8248/15]
View answerResponsibility for the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, as amended, is divided between my Department and the Irish Aviation Authority. My Department is responsible for issuing exemptions from Article 6 of the Order regarding munitions of war and the IAA is responsible for issuing exemptions from Article 7 regarding dangerous goods.
Under the Order the carriage of munitions of war on board Irish registered aircraft or at Irish airports or in Irish airspace is prohibited without an exemption from my Department.
I have no reason to believe the provisions of the Order are not being complied with by airlines. My understanding is that there have not been inspections carried out by authorised officers of my Department in relation to the carriage of munitions of war in recent years.
In relation to the carriage of dangerous goods in accordance with Article 7, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the IAA for direct reply. If you do not receive a response within the next 10 working days please contact my Office.
