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Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 June 2021

Thursday, 24 June 2021

Questions (254)

Richard O'Donoghue

Question:

254. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has been in contact with the new US administration under President Joe Biden in relation to the continued use of Shannon Airport to carry munitions of war on civil aircraft given Shannon Airport was found to be the airport of origin on 282 occasions. [33685/21]

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Written answers

The Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order, 1973 prohibits the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft, including on troop-carrying civil aviation operators, through Irish airspace or Irish airports, unless an exemption has been granted by the Minister for Transport. Statistics on such exemptions are published on the Department of Transport’s website, which may be the source for the figures provided by the Deputy.

The process in place around the granting of such permission by the Minister for Transport is robust and includes seeking the advice of the Department of Foreign on any implications for Ireland's policy of military neutrality. My Department routinely recommends against the carriage of munitions, with exceptions made for unloaded personal weapons or those intended for international crisis management and peace support operations.

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