Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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1626. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of US soldiers that have passed through Shannon Airport between 1 July 2016 and 31 December 2016, including a monthly breakdown; the number of requests his Department received from civilian aircraft to land at Shannon Airport or pass through Irish airspace while carrying munitions in the same six month period; the number of permits issued for both; the number of requests that were rejected between 1 July 2016 and 31 December 2016; the reason for rejecting the requests; if he will provide a breakdown of the countries from which the requests were made and to which the permits were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1956/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​Shannon Airport has informed my Department that the number of US troops who have passed through Shannon Airport from 1st July 2016 to 31st December 2016 is 22,758. The monthly breakdown is as follows:  July - 4,702; August - 2,907; September - 3,056; October - 6,288; November - 2,238; December - 3,567. The number of requests my Department received in the period from civilian aircraft to land at Shannon Airport or to pass through Irish airspace while carrying munitions was 462. For the specified period 411 permits were issued, 36 requests were refused. 31 requests were refused on the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 5 requests were refused at my discretion. The nationality of the airlines making applications during the period was as follows: USA - 433, Ireland - 6, Turkey - 2, UK - 11, Switzerland - 5, Ethiopia - 2, Russia - 3.

The nationality of the airlines granted permits during the period was as follows: USA - 390, Ireland - 6, Turkey - 2, UK - 7, Switzerland - 3, Ethiopia - 2, Russia - 1.