Written answers
Tuesday, 7 November 2023
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Military Aircraft
Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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243. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number permits his Department has issued to the US for transport of weapons via the Irish State in the years 2019 to 2023 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47996/23]
Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Exemptions from the prohibition of the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft are granted pursuant to Article 5 of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders 1973 and 1989.
Applications are made by individual air operators (not States), with determinations made on a case-by-case basis and subject to a consultation process with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice. The Irish Aviation Authority is consulted only when such carriage also includes dangerous goods. The Department of Defence is kept informed of all applications.
Set out below are the total number of exemptions granted to US civil air operators, both overflying and stopping at a point in Ireland, from 2019 to 2023 (end October).
The weapons carried on board these aircraft were unloaded personal weapons of troops on board and no ammunition was carried.
| Year | Exemptions granted to US civil air operators |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,016 |
| 2020 | 1,152 |
| 2021 | 973 |
| 2022 | 1,049 |
| 2023 (end October) | 756 |
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