Mr. Niall Burgess:

The first point I would make is that we are talking about flights which are in transit and, therefore, are not unloading material.

Under certain specific circumstances the Garda has search powers. I do not believe the flights would otherwise be searched on a routine basis. As I have stated, regulation of these issues is a matter for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport under the Air Navigation and Transport Act. Under these regulations civilian aircraft are specifically prohibited from carrying weapons or munitions over Ireland or into Irish airports unless the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport gives them an exemption under specific named conditions.