Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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72. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of occasions each month in 2018 that Defence Forces personnel were involved in aid to civil power duties at Shannon Airport; the number involved; and the cost of same. [47822/18]

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 (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. On each occasion that the support of the Defence Forces is required, including at Shannon Airport, An Garda Síochána issues a form C70 to the Defence Forces to request their assistance.

The number of occasions that Defence Forces personnel were involved in aid to civil power duties at Shannon Airport from 1 January 2018 to 14 November 2018, by month; the number of deployments involved; and the cost of same are set out in the following tabular statement:

For security reasons it would not be appropriate to disclose the details regarding the number of personnel assigned to each deployment.

I am satisfied that there is ongoing and close liaison between both An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, and between my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality regarding security matters generally, including the Defence Forces ATCP roles.