Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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10. To ask the Minister for Defence the number of occasions in April, May and June of this year that the presence of Defence Forces personnel at Shannon Airport was requested by An Garda Síochána in relation to visiting military aircraft; if he will provide the countries of origin of these aircraft; if members of either the Defence Forces or An Garda Síochána carried out searches of these aircraft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25802/14]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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For the record, with regard to the Minister of State's GAA comment, it was Deputy Daly who said it to me and not the other way around.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Stick to the question.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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He misunderstood what I said.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, please stick to the question.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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It was interesting that he jumped to political point scoring.

I wish to ask the Minister of State the number of occasions in April, May and June that the presence of Defence Force personnel at Shannon Airport was requested by An Garda Síochána with regard to visiting military aircraft. Will the Minister of State provide the countries of origin of these aircraft? Did members of the Defence Forces or An Garda Síochána carry out searches of these aircraft?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 14 together.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is not in order. We have decided this is not the case. Deputy Durkan has been sitting in the Chamber for the past 15 or 20 minutes and his question will not be reached.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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We were given a list and the questions have been grouped.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy was not supposed to have been given a list. It is question by question and it applies across the board. Other Deputies have been waiting for their questions and they will not be reached.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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It is my understanding there was a misunderstanding and I apologise for it.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There is a misunderstanding but at the expense of Deputies sitting here. Please proceed.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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An Garda Síochána has primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of aid to the civil power, which in practice means assisting An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. There is ongoing and close liaison between An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces regarding security matters.

The Defence Forces have deployed personnel to Shannon Airport in response to requests for support from An Garda Síochána since 5 February 2003. The Defence Forces carried out 32 security deployments at Shannon Airport in April of this year, 35 in May and 16 up to 12 June. The length of each such deployment and the number of relevant aircraft that land and take off during each deployment can vary. For example, if a single aircraft is on the ground for an extended period, perhaps overnight or over a number of days, this would involve more than one deployment of troops as each shift is generally of 12 hours duration.

The Defence Forces have no responsibility for searching foreign military aircraft that land at Shannon and there is no record kept by the military of the country of origin of each aircraft. I understand these records are kept by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as foreign military aircraft are provided with diplomatic clearance to land in Ireland by that Department.

With regard to inspections of aircraft being carried out by An Garda Síochána, I would advise that this is a matter that should be addressed to the Minister for Justice and Equality, but my understanding is that An Garda Síochána does not carry out searches of foreign military aircraft.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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The number of flights works out at one a day and I find it hard to credit that we are so lax about what goes on down there. As the Defence Forces have been there so often, did they take any steps to establish whether the military aircraft were transporting weapons or munitions to one or other of the belligerents in the civil wars in progress in Ukraine, Syria and Iraq? If not, why not?

Will the Minister of State comment on the presence of a US government jet with the tail number N977GA at Shannon airport? This jet was previously used by CIA rendition flights, as recorded at Shannon Airport a number of times by the Shannonwatch group. Recent media reports stated that the jet left Washington on the same night that Edward Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong, with the hope of picking him up in the event Russia did not grant him asylum. Does the Minister of State agree that simply relying on diplomatic assurances from the US with regard to rendition flights is not sufficient to comply with the State's obligations to prevent torture, prohibit ill-treatment taking place in its territory or airspace and ensure its territory is not used to facilitate extraordinary rendition?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of aid to the civil power, which in practice means assisting An Garda Síochána where requested to do so. Security assessments are carried out by An Garda Síochána, which determines whether Defence Forces assistance is required. We only provide assistance. I am not sure what date the Deputy referred to with regard to searching aircraft. He should raise this issue with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, or the Department of Justice and Equality and the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. As I stated the Department of Defence only assists An Garda Síochána at Shannon Airport.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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It is appropriate to the Minister of State because if it was not it would have been ruled out of order and moved by the Ceann Comhairle's office. The Minister of State does have a role in this regard. The figures he gave are absolutely shocking. At least once a day Army personnel are involved in protecting US aircraft. The Minister of State told us to ask the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where the aircraft are from but I am sure this is the answer. I have not noticed any Russian planes stopping at Shannon Airport. What does the Minister of State think all of these aircraft, which must stop and refuel, are doing if they are not carrying munitions or engaged in any activity? It is a hugely costly effort to move military aircraft particularly these ones. Considering that Defence Forces personnel are not bothering to examine what they are doing, but are there on practically a daily basis, what does the Minister of State think the US authorities are doing by moving the aircraft on such a consistent basis?

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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In March, a report in The Guardiannewspaper stated the US had delivered 100 hellfire missiles, along with assault rifles and ammunition, to Iraq at the beginning of that month. It is ridiculous the House cannot confirm that none of these weapons transited through Shannon. Iraq is falling apart at the seams because of the US's warmongering efforts there and we are facilitating it. We do not seem to have any inch or issue with what goes on at Shannon Airport.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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In 2013, some 324 Defence Forces security operations were completed at Shannon Airport compared to 381 in 2012 and 327 in 2011. I assure Deputy Daly these figures have not been massaged in any way. I am giving her the correct number of deployments from the Irish Defence Forces to aid An Garda Síochána at Shannon Airport.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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The Minister of State is misrepresenting me again. I did not say that.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Regarding Deputy Wallace's question, I believe it would be better asked of the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Minister for Justice and Equality, as the Department of Defence has no role in searching any aircraft in Shannon. That is a matter for An Garda Síochána, for which the Department of Justice and Equality has primary responsibility.