John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on exercise Eagle at Shannon Airport on 25 April 2006, which tested the effectiveness of the emergency services if a passenger aircraft with a cargo of chemicals crashed at Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22012/06]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will comment on the recent exercise Eagle at Shannon airport that took place in April 2006; if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of the emergency services to respond to a major incident such as that staged during the exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22187/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 149 together.

Each Aerodrome under the terms of its licence issued by the Irish Aviation Authority must carry out emergency exercises at the aerodrome at intervals not exceeding two years. This is a day-to-day matter for the relevant airport authority and is one in which I have no function. On 25 April 2006, Shannon Airport management initiated a simulated Airport Crash Exercise named Exercise Eagle and the following bodies participated: — Shannon Airport Management and Fire Service; Shannon Air Traffic Control; An Garda Síochána; HSE West Management and Ambulance service; and Clare County Council Management & Fire Service. The participating airline was American Airlines. I am informed that all participants were satisfied that Exercise Eagle was a success, particularly American Airlines who brought all their European Station Managers to Shannon to view the exercise at first hand.