Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 495 of 29 November 2005, if he will confirm that the Snow Report in question at paragraph 4.7.2 unequivocally acknowledges that, on the sole basis of risk to either air navigation or to those on the ground, restriction of all development under the approach surfaces at Casement Aerodrome particularly to a wide area at a distance of 1,370 metres from the thresholds might seem logically unsustainable, particularly in view of the fact that there are no available data for a satisfactory risk analysis on Irish military aircraft during landing and take-off operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7841/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Red safety areas were first adopted at Casement Aerodrome following a review in 1992 by Aer Rianta, on behalf of the Department of Defence, of policy in relation to safety zones at the aerodrome. International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and recommendations in relation to obstacle limitation surfaces for airports, designed to protect the safety of aircraft as they land and take off by ensuring that there are no obstacles in the way, as well as considerations in regard to public safety in the vicinity of the aerodrome, were taken into account in determining the size and shape of the red safety areas at Casement Aerodrome. The areas are essentially two-dimensional surfaces on the ground originating 60 metres beyond the runway thresholds, have a width of 300 metres and diverge at a rate of 15% at each side to a width of 700 metres and have an overall length of 1370 metres in the case of each runway. The Department's policy approach is that no new developments should be allowed within red safety areas. However, extensions to existing domestic dwellings are acceptable in certain circumstances.

While the Snow Report, referred to by the Deputy, contains discourse in relation to the restriction of development under the approach surfaces at Casement Aerodrome, the recommendation in the case of Casement Aerodrome contained in the report was that approach areas be retained for security and safety reasons because of the large proportion of training, including single engine/solo flights by inexperienced pilots, carried out at the aerodrome. The matter will, however, be kept under review.