Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
214. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the total number of troops that passed through Shannon Airport on military contracted planes in each of the years from 1998 to 2021 and date in 2022, in tabular form. [42788/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra216. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the total number of United States military contract landings at Shannon Airport in each of the years from 1998 to 2021 and date in 2022, in tabular form. [42790/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 216 together.
As stated previously, my department has no statutory function with regard to the transit of foreign military personnel through Irish sovereign territory or Irish airports. In my response to Question No. 71 from the Deputy on 30th June 2021, I indicated that I would ask Shannon Group to provide the Deputy with the information sought regarding the number of US military personnel who passed through Shannon Airport in each of the years over the 20 year period from 2001 to 2021. Those details were provided to the Deputy in a letter dated 7th July 2021 from Shannon Group. I will request Shannon Group to provide the information for the additional periods now sought by the Deputy.
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 in Ireland's sovereign airspace or into Irish airports unless they receive an exemption from the Minister for Transport.
In relation to the Deputy’s question regarding the number of landings at Shannon Airport by aircraft contracted by the US military, my Department only has data on the exemptions issued under the 1973 Order; it does not have data on the total number of flights under US military contract that land at Shannon. I will ask Shannon Group to provide the data requested to the Deputy. If the Deputy does not receive a reply from Shannon Group within ten working days, please contact my private office.
My Department holds data on exemptions issued under the 1973 Order to civil aircraft carrying munitions of war in Ireland’s sovereign airspace or into Irish airports. The data held by my department on exemptions issued prior to 2020 was not collated in a format which would enable my officials to provide the numbers of exemptions issued specifically in respect of flights under US military contract which landed at Shannon (the data held for years prior to 2020 includes exemptions issued to all civil operators and does not identify specifically those contracted by the US military).
The table below details the number of exemptions granted under the 1973 Order to civil air operators carrying munitions of war on behalf of the United States military, which featured a landing at Shannon Airport, for the years 2020 to June 2022.
|
2020 |
389 |
|
2021 |
259 |
|
2022 (to June) |
224 |
