Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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114. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will establish the destination and the number of troops that were on board an aircraft (details supplied) which landed in Shannon Airport on 17 March 2019. [21770/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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An exemption, pursuant to Article 5 of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders, 1973 and 1989, permitting the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft was issued for the aircraft detailed for the date specified by the Deputy.

The application for this exemption detailed the destination point as OKBK Kuwait International Airport.

My department has no statutory function with regard to the number of military personnel that are onboard such flights. The air operator's application for an exemption did indicate, however, that there were to be 135 troops carried. This number should be treated as provisional, as the actual number may have changed by the time of the flight.