Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

We are extremely concerned by the situation in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. We are conscious of the ICJ's advisory opinion in respect of the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Any policy or activity that would in any way be supportive of the occupation would run contrary to the Irish position, and indeed the international legal position now with regard to the ICJ's advisory opinion. On our sovereign airspace, the Department of Transport has not yet provided my Department with a definitive conclusion on the issues regarding the flights that stopped off in Belgium and then came through Irish airspace, as per the reports from an NGO in Belgium, which were then sent to ontheditch.com. I have not a definitive response yet from the Department of Transport or from the Minister. It seems to me that the only objective in violating Irish airspace would be saving fuel. We have to deal with the operators concerned, however, and any operators who violate the Chicago convention and our legislation.

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