Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018
131. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on US Vice President Mike Pence's recent meeting with American soldiers en route to Kuwait at Shannon Airport; the way in which such a meeting aligns with Irish neutrality and the Government's commitment to neutrality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4274/18]
View answerThis Government is fully committed to Ireland’s longstanding policy of military neutrality, which is characterised by non-participation in military alliances. This commitment was most recently detailed in the White Paper on Defence published in August 2015. This reaffirmed that Ireland’s policy of military neutrality remains a core element of Irish Foreign policy, as had been previously articulated in the review of Foreign Policy, “The Global Island”, published in January 2015. This Government upholds and will continue to uphold that longstanding and publicly cherished policy.
This policy, together with our international activism on issues such as disarmament, international crisis management and peacekeeping, has helped us to speak with a distinctive and independent voice on many of the key challenges facing the world in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security.
Permission must be sought in advance for landings by all foreign military aircraft. Foreign military aircraft, of any and all States, requesting permission to avail of facilities at Shannon or any other Irish airport must adhere to strict conditions: conditions that are applied to ensure compatibility with Ireland’s policy of military neutrality. These conditions routinely include stipulations that the aircraft is unarmed, carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it must not engage in intelligence gathering and does not form part of any military operation or exercise. Successive Governments have made landing facilities at Shannon available to the US for many years. The facility to land is also made available to military aircraft from other countries. In considering requests for landings by foreign military aircraft, my Department’s primary focus is on whether the flights in question comply with these conditions. No distinction between States is made when it comes to the application of these criteria.
I am satisfied with the strict application of these conditions and with their compatibility with Ireland’s policy of military neutrality. Facilitation of landing requests for foreign military aircraft does not alter nor breach this policy and re-fuelling of a government jet en route to political consultations does not alter nor breach this policy.
