Air Navigation Orders

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 November 2016

Wednesday, 2 November 2016

Ceisteanna (439)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

439. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of munitions permits his Department has granted to date in 2016 under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, and the country of origin of all permits granted; the number of such requests which have been refused; the reasons they were refused; the country of origin of all refusals of such munitions exemption requests to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32857/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

703 permits were granted to carry munitions of war or dangerous goods on civilian aircraft under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders in 2016, up to and including 28th October 2016.

Of those 703 permits granted, 657 were issued to US airlines, 19 to Irish airlines, 9 to Turkish airlines, 5 to UK airlines, 5 to Swiss airlines, 4 to Ethiopian airlines, 2 to Russian airlines and 1 each to an airline from Azerbaijan and France.

In the same period, 42 applications under the Order have been refused.  39 of the refusals were to applications from US airlines, 2 to applications from UK airlines and 1 to an application from a Russian airline.

Of the 42 applications that were refused, 32 were refused on the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 10 were refused at my discretion.