Mr. Niall Burgess:

If the Senator is speaking about safety issues, he is speaking about issues which should properly be put to the Department of Justice and Equality and the Minister for Justice and Equality. The practice of passage through Shannon Airport is part of the normal conduct of international relations between states which enjoy friendly relations, and many such states use the overflight and landing facility at Shannon Airport.

No one would see military personnel carrying weapons because they are not authorised to carry weapons outside the plane and uniformed personnel are allowed into the transit areas but require specific authorisation to leave them.