Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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41. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question Number 831 of 16 September 2016, if the Defence Forces were called upon to perform aid to civil power duties for US military aircraft landing at Shannon and en route to or returning from Romania in June 2016; and the total cost to the State of the Defence Forces performing these duties for these aircraft. [27096/16]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. The Defence Forces were called upon to provide Aid to the Civil Power duties for US Military aircraft landing in Shannon in June 2016.

In accordance with legislative requirements of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly or land in the State require the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

For security and operational reasons, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on specific flights. However, the total cost to the State for the performance of these duties at Shannon Airport by the Defence Forces to date in 2016 is €135,923.73.