Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
279. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 801 of 27 May 2020, the number of US troops and the quantity of weapons and munitions that have passed through Shannon Airport in each of the months May to October 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35232/20]
View answer280. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport his plans to continue the practice of providing exemptions under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order for US military contracted plans to take weapons through Shannon and Irish airspace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35233/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together.
The 1944 Chicago Convention is the main treaty governing international civil aviation. Article 35 of this Convention relates to the carriage of munitions of war in the sovereign territory of a State. This is implemented in Irish law in the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders, 1973 and 1989.
Under these Orders, the carriage of munitions of war is prohibited on any civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory/airspace and on Irish registered civil aircraft, wherever they may be, unless an exemption for such carriage is granted by the Minister for Transport.
A well established procedure is in place in my Department, for processing applications for such exemptions, which includes consultations with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Justice and Equality on each application, ensuring both foreign policy and security matters are considered.
My Department uploads statistics to the gov.ie website regarding the number of such applications made, which includes the numbers that are granted, refused and cancelled. These statistics are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/15da60-the-carriage-of-munitions-of-war-on-civil-aircraft/
My Department has no statutory function with regard to the transit of foreign military personnel through Irish sovereign territory or Irish airports.
Shannon Airport Authority has informed my Department that they collate such information at the end of each month, and that the numbers of US military personnel that transited through Shannon Airport from May 2020 to the end of October 2020 were:
|
Months in 2020 |
Number of US military personnel that transited Shannon Airport |
|
May |
7,577 |
|
June |
6,553 |
|
July |
10,711 |
|
August |
4,097 |
|
September |
4,832 |
|
October |
6,070 |
