Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
301. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 403 of 10 November 2020, if US military aircraft never carry arms, ammunition or explosives, are never engaged in intelligence gathering or never form part of military exercises or operations when travelling through Irish airspace or landing at an Irish airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43368/20]
View answerArrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military aircraft, including US aircraft, to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These routinely include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form any part of military exercises or operations. Requests for exceptions to these conditions are received on occasion. Such exceptions, would only be agreed to in relation to the carriage of a personal service weapon by personal protection officers on VIP flights, the transport of equipment to a UN-authorised peacekeeping or crisis management operation or where an aircraft was experiencing an emergency.
With regard to overflights, specific arrangements for the US were established in 1959. As advised in my response to the Deputy's question number 43369, overflights of US military aircraft are permitted without prior notification, on the basis that the aircraft are unarmed, carry only cargo and passengers and comply with navigational requirements. If a proposed military overflight does not meet these criteria, blanket clearance does not apply and advance permission must be sought. The standard conditions would then apply, and these do not permit carrying arms, ammunition or explosives, or engaging in intelligence gathering of forming part of military exercises of operations.
