Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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150. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 127 of 3 November 2015, wherein he stated that permission would not be granted for the landing of an aircraft of the type specified by the Deputy, that is, a United States of America gunship AC-130W as was used in the bombing of the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz in Afghanistan, if he will explain why United States of America Air Force AC-130W, registration number 87 - 9288, arrived in Shannon Airport on 5 September 2013 and departed on 6 September 2015; if permission was granted on that occasion; and if he will correct the record. [44355/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The landing referred to by the Deputy has been raised in this House on a number of previous occasions. In response to a parliamentary question regarding compliance by foreign military aircraft with conditions applied by my Department, my predecessor stated that contrary to notification, one US military aircraft landed in Shannon Airport in September 2013 armed with a fixed weapon. This was not in accordance with the policy conditions which apply to the landing of foreign military aircraft in Ireland. The Government views breaches of the conditions attached to permission for such landings with the utmost concern and the case in question was subsequently raised at the highest possible level with the US Embassy.

The Embassy official expressed regret at this incident, explained that it was due to an administrative error and provided assurances that steps have been taken by the US authorities to ensure that there is no recurrence.

My reply of 3 November stated that permission would not be granted by my Department for the landing of the aircraft of the type specified by the Deputy. Permission was not provided for the landing in September 2013 to which the Deputy refers and the issue of correcting the record does not arise.