Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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29. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of permits granted for military aircraft to land at Shannon Airport and to pass through Irish airspace between 1 January 2020 and 30 April 2020 inclusive; the countries the requests were made by; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8045/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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From 1 January 2020 to 30 April 2020, my Department granted diplomatic clearance for 126 landings at Shannon airport by foreign military aircraft. Of these, three were not availed of by the State concerned.

During the same period, permissions were granted for 253 overflights in Irish airspace by foreign military aircraft, of which six were not availed of by the State concerned.

The tables below detail the figures:

Military landing clearances for Shannon Airport from 01 January - 30 April 2020

Of these authorisations, three were not availed of.

Military overflight clearances from 01 January to 30 April 2020

Of these authorisations to overfly, 6 were not availed of.

I have on previous occasions often set out the framework for these clearances, which remains unchanged. Foreign military aircraft, of any and all States, overflying Irish sovereign airspace or requesting permission to avail of facilities at any Irish airport, must routinely adhere to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed, carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it must not engage in intelligence gathering and does not form part of any military operation or exercise.