Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 224: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 269 of 3 March 2009, if the reply means that there are two officers in total or two administrative and two technical officers based in Shannon Airport; the matters on which they liaise with Irish authorities and with which authorities; the reason it is considered necessary to have them situated at the airport rather than in the US embassy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14654/09]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 225: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 269 of 3 March 2009, when and by whom the stationing of foreign military personnel at Shannon Airport was approved; the nature of the agreement; if it is short-term or open-ended; if there is a restriction on the number of officers who may be stationed there; the position regarding what is within their authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14655/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together.

Further to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 269 of 3 March 2009, there are a total of two US officials of Administrative and Technical status attached to the Embassy of the United States who act as liaison officers at Shannon Airport. They have been notified to this Department by the Embassy under Article 10 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as incorporated into Irish law by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967.

The two officials concerned are based in Shannon, rather than Dublin, because they are engaged in assisting with the transit of US Government or Government-contracted flights carrying US government officials, civilian and military personnel and cargo through Shannon Airport.

The two officials concerned liaise with the Irish authorities in relation to flight notifications and permissions through the US Embassy in Dublin. As necessary, they also liaise directly with the airport and other authorities in Shannon on technical and logistical issues that arise in relation to transiting aircraft or their passengers.

The stationing of the two US officials in Shannon is fully consistent with the Vienna Convention and is not governed by a specific formal agreement. The current arrangement, which has applied since 2003, operates to the convenience and satisfaction of both the Irish and US authorities and I consider it to be proportionate to the present level of US government air traffic through Shannon.