Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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317. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of permissions for landing at Shannon Airport that have been sought to date in 2015 for refuelling planes belonging to the military of the United States of America. [37141/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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318. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of refuelling planes belonging to the military of the United States of America en route to support the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen that have landed in Shannon Airport since that bombing campaign commenced. [37142/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 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.

Arrangements under which permission is granted for military aircraft, including US aircraft, to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. 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 any part of military exercises or operations.

Requests to permit the landing of military aircraft, including those that can operate as refuelling aircraft, are considered by my Department on the basis of the conditions outlined above. Up to 20 October 2015, permission in respect of 46 refuelling aircraft was granted subject to these conditions.

I have stated previously my view that peace talks are the optimum way to achieve a political consensus which can restore order to Yemen and I would encourage all parties to engage to engage with the UN to this end so that a ceasefire can be agreed and a negotiated political solution found.