Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 3 July 2025

Committee on Defence and National Security

General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed)

2:00 am

Mr. Stephen Kelly:

I am not sure they have. I think in the Horgan case it was held that neutrality, as defined in the Hague Conventions, is part of customary international law but, unfortunately, the courts were not able to enforce a ban on Shannon Airport being used by the US military, as was requested, because it has not been formally adopted. I wish that were true but, unfortunately, I do not think it is.