Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

Members of the Garda Síochána are fully entitled to search any aircraft if they have a reasonable belief that a crime is being committed on board, and it would be a crime to detain a person against his or her will on a flight, other than on foot of an extradition treaty which is not relevant to this case. As Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I have repeatedly called on any person with any credible evidence that Shannon Airport was used for allegedly unlawful purposes to share this information with the Garda. On a number of occasions information has been provided to the Garda who thoroughly investigated it and found it to be without substance.

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