Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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151. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question Number 880 of 3 November 2015, his views that it is appropriate that records are not kept of the number of military personnel transiting through Shannon Airport on military aircraft, as indicated by his reply; what he proposes to do regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44356/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Arrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military 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. In considering requests for the landing of foreign military aircraft, my Department’s primary focus is on whether the flights in question are in compliance with these conditions which do not include a requirement in relation to the numbers and designation of passengers. I do not propose to change the strict conditions currently in place.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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152. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 880 of 3 November 2015, wherein he stated that a small number of requests were approved for the carriage of weapons by personnel protection officers on very important persons flights passing through Shannon in 2015, the number of such requests; the nature of their visits; and the purpose of their onward journey. [44357/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The decision to grant a firearms certificate is made by the Minister for Justice and Equality, in consultation with the Garda Síochána, which at all times retains responsibility for law enforcement matters generally and in relation to visiting VIPs.