Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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73. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to respond to the findings of a report from a UN special rapporteur (details supplied) that the Irish state continues to permit the transfer of weapons to Israel through Irish ports and airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64056/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for the regulation of foreign aircraft landing or overflying the State is shared between Departments. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has primary responsibility for the regulation of foreign military and state aircraft, while the Department of Transport leads on regulation of civil aircraft.

Under the terms of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order, 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly, or land in, the State require diplomatic clearance from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Diplomatic clearance is subject to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation.

Furthermore, under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders 1973 and 1989, it is expressly prohibited for civil aircraft to carry munitions of war in Irish sovereign territory, without being granted an exemption to do so by the Minister for Transport.

In 2023, 2024, and to date in 2025, no applications have been received or exemptions granted for the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to a point in Israel.