Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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531. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that a US Marine Corps military aircraft landed at Shannon Airport on 24 May 2016; if he granted permission for the aircraft to land at Shannon Airport; if he will agree that it is inconceivable that this aircraft was not carrying weapons and munitions, at the very least the personal arms of the crew and its military passengers; and if he received any assurances that its stop at Shannon Airport was not helping to facilitate a military operation. [12973/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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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.

Permission must be sought in advance for landings by all foreign military aircraft, including US aircraft, and if granted, is subject to 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 part of military exercises or operations.

The Shannon Airport Authority has confirmed that two US military aircraft landed at Shannon Airport on 24 May. I can further confirm that my Department granted permission in each case, subject to the strict conditions which I have outlined above.

My Department is satisfied that the US is fully aware of the need to comply with these strict conditions.