Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Defence Forces personnel have been called out to protect US military aircraft. Have they been called out to protect any other aircraft? For example, on Monday of this week a Miami Air flight arrived at Shannon with a civilian call sign, but took off with a military call sign. Did Defence Forces personnel form an aid to civil power duty on this plane? Did they do so on 17 January with a Sun Country airlines flight which arrived or on 18 January when an aeroplane was heading for Qatar?

Unusual developments are taking place at Shannon and I do not know whether things are being done to circumvent the supposed neutrality we have and the idea that permission needs to be sought. I am not clear on what the Minister of State is saying. Can he confirm that he is telling us that Defence Forces personnel have played no role in protecting those aircraft, despite the fact that they are repeatedly called out to protect official military aircraft?

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