Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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64. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the multiple flight operations application issued by his Department is being used illegally at Shannon by a company (details supplied) to transport howitzer guns with ammunition on board an aircraft through Shannon Airport on 7 and 8 May 2022. [25300/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Multiple Flight Operations (MFO) authorisation issued to the air operator in question was not utilised for the flights undertaken on the 7th and 8th May. All flight authorisations issued by my Department clearly state that no munitions of war may be carried on flights covered by said authorisations unless an appropriate exemption, pursuant to Article 5 of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders, 1973 and 1989, has been granted.

The air operator had communicated, prior to the flight, with my department, querying if an exemption would be needed as the cargo carried consisted of basic frame armoured vehicles without weapons. It was determined that for such cargo, no exemption would be required, however a single authorisation for a technical stop was issued for this flight.