Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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39. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 48 of 10 May 2017, the progress made on the promised review of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, as amended. [29942/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​As I outlined in my response on 10 May last I decided recently that my Department should conduct an internal review of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, as amended.  Such a review is timely, given the age of that Order and the subsequent changes to international law since 1973, particularly as regards the transport of dangerous goods by air.

In the first instance this will be an internal review in my Department, to identify the options available for updating various aspects of the Order. Given that so many aspects of the current Order require review, taking into account legislation at EU level and internationally at the International Civil Aviation Organisation, it is likely that implementing the recommendations of the review would require a new Statutory Instrument to replace existing legislative provisions.

In addition to compatibility with EU and International law, other issues that may be examined in the review would be the role of other Ministers and agencies in the granting of exemptions under the order, the legal definitions of civil aircraft and state aircraft, the requirement for permits for each individual aircraft operation, the application of the order to Irish registered aircraft outside of Irish airspace, issues related to the carriage of firearms by certain categories of law enforcement officers and finally the provisions of the order relating to monitoring, enforcement, inspection and offences.

I would then envisage a public consultation taking place in order to ensure that any proposed changes are considered in an open and transparent manner. I would hope it is possible to begin this wider public consultation process before the end of the year.