Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of overflight permissions granted to foreign military aircraft on the weekend of 30 April to 3 May 2004; the conditions attached to these permissions; and the specific aircraft involved in each case. [14040/04]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of permissions granted to foreign military aircraft to land in the State's airports on the weekend of 30 April to 3 May 2004; the conditions attached to these permissions; and the location of such landings, the specific aircraft involved, the number of military personnel who landed and the duration of their stay in each case. [14041/04]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 112 together.

Fourteen military aircraft were granted overflight permission during the period of 30 April to 3 May 2004. As regards landings, permission was granted to 34 foreign military aircraft, including state aircraft transporting VIPs, which are categorised as military aircraft for this purpose, to land at Irish airports during the same period, which spanned the weekend when EU heads of state or Government participated in events in Ireland to mark the accession of ten new member states.

These clearances were granted in accordance with the normal criteria which include the stipulation that the aircraft be unarmed and not carrying any arms or ammunition. It is not the Government's policy to provide specific details of individual requests for overflight and landing applications.