Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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7. To ask the Minister for Defence the number of occasions on which Irish Defence Forces personnel were present at Shannon Airport in June, July and August 2014; the nature of their duties; and the number of searches of foreign military aircraft conducted. [34551/14]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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This question relates to the activities of members of the Defence Forces at Shannon Airport in the presence of US military aircraft. As a neutral country, we have international obligations to search these aircraft, although it would appear the Defence Forces members seem to be present more or less to protect them. Will the Minister instruct the Defence Forces to search the aircraft or will it be left to civilians to try to do the job for them?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It seems, unfortunately, that sometimes we do need to protect these aircraft because there are individuals intent on trying to damage them. An Garda Síochána has the primary responsibility for law and order, including internal security in 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. This has been ongoing for quite some time.

There were 33 security deployments of the Defence Forces at Shannon Airport in June of this year, 24 in July and 32 in August. This is entirely in line with deployments in previous years. 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 aircraft that land at Shannon. This is our involvement.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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The Minister has confirmed that the activities over the summer were consistent and that on average once a day the Irish Defence Forces are present to protect US military aircraft.

When the Irish Army goes there, at whose behest is it? Is it at the behest of the Garda Síochána? Who decides and who pays for it? We have a responsibility under international law to search the vehicles. This responsibility was confirmed by the UN Human Rights Committee at a recent meeting in Geneva, at which it said that relying on diplomatic assurances was not sufficient in respect of checking whether aircraft were, for example, carrying people for rendition. We have had similar judgments in the High Court - for example, in the Horgan v.Ireland case, in which it was clearly spelled out that a neutral state may not permit the movement of large numbers of troops or munitions of one belligerent state through its territory en route to a theatre of war. Under the Hague Convention, there is a legal responsibility for a neutral power which receives on its territory troops belonging to belligerent armies to intern them as far as possible. We have a responsibility to search the aircraft. Will the Minister instruct the Defence Forces to do so or talk to the Minister for Justice and Equality to get the Garda Síochána to do so? Or must civilians do the job to make sure we are compliant with our international obligations as a neutral country?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is my understanding that the Defence Forces are there at the request of the Garda Síochána. When the Garda Síochána asks for support, backup and assistance on security matters, the Defence Forces takes it seriously and provides it. The cost is assumed by the Department of Defence. On the broader issue, being a neutral state allows us to make decisions for ourselves as a country. We have strong reassurances from the US on issues such as rendition and we have a relationship with the US that allows us to facilitate flights in and out of Shannon on the back of those assurances. Questions about decisions with regard to the Garda Síochána must be asked of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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That is the problem of kicking it from one Minister to the other. The Minister has confirmed that we are facilitating the movement of US troops, in his words, and these troops have engaged in a 13-year invasion of Afghanistan, not to mind activities in Iraq and elsewhere. We have been complicit in the slaughter of innocents because of that. I quoted to the Minister the obligations in terms of what Irish courts have said and the international Hague Convention rules for neutral countries, which we are not adhering to. It is insufficient for the Minister to kick it to another Minister, and I would like the Minister to provide me with the cost to the Defence Forces of the venture. It is simply not good enough.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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On costs, I can be helpful straight away. In 2012, the cost was €275,000 and in 2013 it was €221,000. There is a cost to it and it is presumably because the Garda Síochána is concerned that we need to provide protection, which is an issue in itself, to planes landing and taking off at Shannon Airport. They ask for our assistance and they get our assistance, but the operation is the responsibility of the Garda Síochána, and the Deputy should address policy questions in this regard to the Minister for Justice and Equality.