Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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67. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 256 of 11 September 2023, if he is confident that cluster munitions have not transited sovereign Irish airspace in the period since February 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42012/24]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In response to Parliamentary Question No. 256 of 11 September 2023, my predecessor advised that his officials had assessed records from 2003 to that date and had identified no instance where an application was processed and exemption granted, under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders 1973 and 1989, for the carriage of cluster munitions on civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory.

I can confirm that from 11 September 2023 to date, there have been on applications for exemptions to carry cluster munitions on civil aircraft in sovereign Irish territory.

My Department's examination of recent allegations related to the carriage of munitions through sovereign Irish airspace without the appropriate exemption is ongoing. This examination includes the verification of the cargo carried on the flights identified.