Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the protocols or agreements that are in place to allow for the entry into Irish controlled air apace, or Irish sovereign air space of British military aircraft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7471/15]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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165. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the Russian response to Irish concerns over the recent episode involving the flight of a Russian bomber off the west coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7525/15]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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167. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has had with the Russian Ambassador, or the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, regarding the circumstances where two Russian military aircraft entered Irish-controlled airspace in January 2015; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that these aircraft were going to enter-Irish controlled airspace; the details he knew of this situation at the time; the details regarding the episode now; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7473/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 164, 165 and 167 together.

The Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland and in Irish airspace. However, as the aircraft in question did not at any time enter Irish sovereign airspace there was no requirement to seek permission in accordance with the Order.

The aircraft were in an area for which the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has responsibility for the provision, operation and management of air navigation services for civil aviation. In the discharge of its operational mandate, pursuant to the Irish Aviation Authority Act, 1993, issues relating to entry into Irish controlled airspace are accordingly a matter for the IAA, which operates under the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Given this mandate and the potential impact of this incident on civil aviation, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the IAA monitored this incident closely.

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has since relayed its concerns about the incident to the International Civil Aviation Organisation. It is emphasised that the IAA coordinated closely with its UK counterparts at all stages during the incident so as to avoid a risk to any civil aircraft during the incident. Although there was no such risk on this occasion, such non-notified and non-controlled flight activity is not acceptable.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport consulted with me and with other members of the Government in relation to the incident and on the development of an agreed response.

As part of that agreed response, and at my instruction, a senior official from my Department met with the Russian Ambassador. The official conveyed the serious concerns of the Government about the unacceptable safety risk which could be posed by non-notified and non-controlled flight activity. The Ambassador undertook to bring the concerns expressed to the attention of his authorities in Moscow.