Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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301. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 403 of 10 November 2020, if US military aircraft never carry arms, ammunition or explosives, are never engaged in intelligence gathering or never form part of military exercises or operations when travelling through Irish airspace or landing at an Irish airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43368/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Arrangements under which permission is granted for foreign military aircraft, including US aircraft, to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These routinely include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form any part of military exercises or operations. Requests for exceptions to these conditions are received on occasion. Such exceptions, would only be agreed to in relation to the carriage of a personal service weapon by personal protection officers on VIP flights, the transport of equipment to a UN-authorised peacekeeping or crisis management operation or where an aircraft was experiencing an emergency.

With regard to overflights, specific arrangements for the US were established in 1959. As advised in my response to the Deputy's question number 43369, overflights of US military aircraft are permitted without prior notification, on the basis that the aircraft are unarmed, carry only cargo and passengers and comply with navigational requirements. If a proposed military overflight does not meet these criteria, blanket clearance does not apply and advance permission must be sought. The standard conditions would then apply, and these do not permit carrying arms, ammunition or explosives, or engaging in intelligence gathering of forming part of military exercises of operations.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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302. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 406 of 10 November 2020, if the same conditions are applied to the granting of permits for overflights by US military aircraft and military aircraft from all other countries; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43369/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A number of countries have applied for and been granted annual blanket clearance for military overflights and landings in Ireland. Under these arrangements, the Embassy of the country concerned submits a notification of each proposed flight to my Department. My Department then notifies relevant Departments and Agencies.

Specific arrangements for US overflights were established in 1959. Overflights of US military aircraft are permitted without prior notification, on the basis that the aircraft are unarmed, carry only cargo and passengers and comply with navigational requirements. The US Embassy provides my Department with post hoc monthly returns on the total number of these overflights and the types of aircraft involved.

If a proposed military overflight does not meet these criteria, blanket clearance does not apply and advance permission must be sought. Furthermore these arrangements apply only to overflights by unarmed US military aircraft. They do not apply to landings.