Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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46. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Army was called on to perform aid to the civil power duties at Shannon Airport on 23 and 24 January 2017; and if aid to the civil power duties were requested for a plane (details supplied). [15263/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internalsecurity 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 (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.

Since 5 February 2003, the Gardaí have requested support from the Defence Forces at Shannon Airport on occasion. The decision to seek support from the Defence Forces is an operational matter for An Garda Síochána.

I can confirm that An Garda Síochána did not request assistance from t he Defence Forces at Shannon Airport on 23 January 2017. I can also confirm that An Garda Síochána did request the support of the Defence Forces on 24 January 2017 , and personnel were deployed to Shannon Airport on that date.

The issue of overflights by foreign military aircraft and the use of Shannon Airport by foreign military aircraft is the responsibility of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Successive Governments have made overflight and landing facilities available at Shannon Airport to the United States for well over 50 years.