John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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362. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the mechanisms that will be put in place to ensure that United States military personnel who may be passing through Shannon Airport will be briefed on the Government health guidelines in relation to overseas travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10200/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs writes to all Embassies accredited to Ireland to inform them of changes to public health requirements impacting on their work, including landings of foreign military aircraft. In addition, I and my officials have had extensive discussions with the US authorities, who are responsible for the majority of these landings.

I and my officials have emphasised to US authorities that crew and passengers of military flights are bound to observe public health regulations in exactly the same way as those on civilian flights. The US authorities have given assurances that they are communicating across their system to ensure that Irish public health requirements are met.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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363. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number and manner of recent breaches of the guidelines and regulations on Covid-19 and overseas travel that have been committed by US military personnel visiting Shannon Airport in recent months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10201/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In addition to the occurrence on 25 January 2021, which I outlined in my response to PQs 6423/21 and 6424/21, two other landings in respect of which breaches of public health guidelines have occurred have been brought to my attention by An Garda Síochána.

The first was on 11 January, when 59 US military personnel alighted at Shannon airport. On that date Statutory Instrument 3/2021, in effect from 9 January 2021, was the applicable public health regulation. These personnel did not complete Passenger Locator Forms as required under that SI.

The second was on 23 January, involving 54 personnel. On that date, SI 11/2021, in effect from 16 January, was the applicable public health regulation. These personnel did not present negative PCR tests nor complete Passenger Locator Forms as required under that SI.

We have emphasised to the US authorities that all landings must fully abide by the conditions put in place by the Irish authorities, including public health conditions. The US authorities have recommitted to full compliance in respect of future landings.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assurances that were received by the authorities here from the US military that there would be no recurrence of the breaches of Covid-19 overseas travel regulations committed by US military personnel at Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10202/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The US authorities have recommitted to full compliance in respect of future landings. They have given assurances, orally and in writing, that they are coordinating across their system to ensure that they follow all health regulations and that an incident of this nature does not happen again.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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365. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he plans to take in the event of a repeat of the breaches of Covid-19 overseas travel regulations by US military personnel at Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10203/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As I outlined in my response to PQs 6423/21 and 6424/21, any non-compliance with public health regulations is a serious matter. In my conversation with the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Dublin on 4 February, I emphasised that all landings must fully abide by the conditions put in place by the Irish authorities, including public health conditions.

The US authorities have assured me that they take Irish public health requirements very seriously. I have received apologies, both orally and in writing, from the relevant US authorities, including the US military authorities. The US side has recommitted to full compliance in respect of future landings.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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366. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if checks will be put in place to ensure that US military personnel using Shannon Airport will present PRC checks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10204/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In our extensive discussions with the US authorities on this subject, I and my officials have emphasised that crew and passengers of military flights are bound to observe public health regulations in exactly the same way as those on civilian flights. The US authorities have given me assurances that they understand this and are fully committed to compliance. The PCR checks applicable at Shannon are the same for military personnel as for any other arrivals.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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367. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of each of the United States military aircraft that overnighted at Shannon Airport between 1 February 2020 and 31 January 2021; the number of US military personnel who were accommodated in hotels in counties Clare and Limerick as a result of these overnight refuelling stops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10312/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The majority of landings by US military aircraft at Shannon airport are for refuelling purposes or for crew rest. There were 84 crew rest stopovers at Shannon between 1 February 2020 and 31 January 2021.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is not involved in, and does not comment on, accommodation arrangements for US military personnel transiting through Shannon.