Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The information provided relates to wide variety of carriers. We have contacted every single one of them. The initial allegations were related primarily to carriers based in Belgium. We have been in contact with the Belgian Government, and I expect we will get the same information that The Ditch has been releasing. That will give us much greater insight, we expect, into whether exactly munitions were carried for which an exemption should have been sought.

We are engaged directly with the Belgian authorities. We expect to have that information shortly. We must do everything correctly under international law.

Returning to the fundamental point I am making, we do need to strengthen our legal provisions. We have sent a message reminding all carriers of the long-held position of the Government under the Chicago convention that no one can transfer munitions either through the air or landing through Irish airports without the express permission of the Irish Government and, in particular, the Minister for Transport. On a routine basis, we say “No” when we receive applications. The vast majority of applications relate to Irish civil aircraft, for which we are responsible, even if they are not flying in Irish airspace. Typically in Scandinavia, there might be a close protection officer and we sanction that. There might be civil aircraft carrying soldiers from the US to Germany or other such locations. Again, they are approved.

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