Mr. Niall Burgess:

We are talking first about matters of Government policy. If I could speak about the military aircraft, the compliance with regulations, with the Government's requirements, when military aircraft land at Shannon Airport is affirmed by the US authorities when they notify in advance that the plane is going to land. Government policy in regard to this was set out in a number of different periods, and the Private Secretary's letter mentions it. In advance of the US military action in Iraq in 2003, the Government decided to maintain the arrangements for overflight and landing in Ireland of US military and civilian aircraft, and that decision was endorsed by Dáil Éireann in 2003. There have been a number of specific statements of Government policy, and the interpretation of the regulations in light of Government policy, over a number of years.

Regarding the landings of civilian aircraft, as the Chairman said, one could interpret what is being said here in a certain way. That certainly was not the intention. That letter does set out separately from the military flights the fact that the carriage of weapons on commercial aircraft is dealt with in a different way. If figures were not given it is probably because we do not carry the final authority relating to the-----