Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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191. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is satisfied that two warplanes of the United States of America, a Hercules C130, number RU 3591, and a CC40, number 5835, were present at Shannon airport on 11 February 2015; if he will provide assurances that these planes were not carrying war materials to the Ukraine; the information on which he bases his reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7269/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Shannon Airport Authority has confirmed that these two aircraft were at Shannon Airport on 11 February 2015.

I can confirm that permission was granted by my Department for the landing of the two aircraft subject to the strict conditions which apply to all foreign military aircraft. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form part of military exercises or operations.

In relation to information regarding the issue of carriage of war materials, I can further confirm that when lodging the requests in respect of both aircraft, the US Embassy confirmed in writing that the aircraft carried no arms, ammunition or explosives.