Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of times the Defence Forces have been called on to perform aid to the civil power duties at Shannon Airport to date in 2019; the nature of the activities carried out; the dates on which those duties were performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38545/19]

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, An Garda Síochána issues a form C70 to the Defence Forces to request their assistance.

As of 18 September 2019, the Defence Forces have conducted 233 Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) deployments to Shannon Airport this year. The nature of the activities carried out was security assistance to An Garda Síochána. The duties were performed on various dates upon receipt of a request from An Garda Síochána.

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.