Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
215. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the total number of permits issued for the carriage of munitions of war through Ireland or Irish airspace in each of the years from 1998 to 2021 and date in 2022, in tabular form. [42789/22]
View answer217. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the total number of overflights granted over Irish sovereign territory in each of the years from 1998 to 2021 and date in 2022, in tabular form. [42791/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 217 together.
Under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, as amended, civil aircraft are prohibited from carrying munitions of war over Ireland's sovereign airspace or into Irish airports unless they receive an exemption from the Minister for Transport.
My officials are currently reviewing available records in the context of the Deputy's question. Once the figures have been determined the information will be forwarded, in tabular format, detailing the number of exemptions granted permitting the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft in Irish sovereign airspace and the number of those which were overflights. Owing to the passage of time and the manner in which records were maintained during the earlier part of the period covered by the Deputy's question, my officials have indicated that it may not be possible to provide the information in full.
In more recent years, my department has made this information available online. Statistics with regard to the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft from 2016 onward is available on gov.ie, at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/15da60-the-carriage-of-munitions-of-war-on-civil-aircraft/#statistics
