Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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9. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of inspections of US military aircraft that have taken place at Shannon Airport since 2020; the number of exemptions that have been given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28232/24]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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10. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to end the use of all Irish airports by foreign military aircraft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40621/24]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The background to my question is that we have military warplanes landing in Shannon Airport, staying for hours or overnight. We are reliant on people like the staff of The Ditch and Ed Horgan and other concerned citizens who are bringing this to our attention. Military warplanes carrying tonnes of weapons are staying overnight or passing through Shannon. What are the Government's plans to end the use of Irish airports by foreign military aircraft?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Deputy saying that military aircraft with tonnes of arms are landing?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Yes, I am. Absolutely.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just wanted to clarify that.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Both passing through and landing for a number of hours.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I had not heard the earlier part of the question. That is why I sought clarification.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.

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 for Foreign Affairs. Diplomatic clearance is only provided where the strict conditions set out by my Department are fully met, 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. This policy is well known, is fully understood by the United States and other international partners, and is done in full compliance with Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality.

Foreign military aircraft which are given permission to land in Ireland are not subject to inspection in this regard. Sovereign immunity, a long-standing principle of customary international law, means a state may not exercise its jurisdiction in respect to another state or its property, including state and military aircraft. This principle applies automatically to foreign state or military aircraft in the same way it applies to Irish State or military aircraft abroad.

Successive governments have made landing facilities available at a number of Irish airports to the United States and other foreign militaries for well over 50 years. Arrangements for foreign military aircraft to land in Irish airports are governed by strict conditions, as I have outlined. These conditions are applicable to foreign military aircraft from all other countries seeking to land in Ireland or overfly Irish airspace. My Department ensures detailed procedures are in place to ensure all relevant parties are fully aware of the requirements relating to applications for permission for foreign military aircraft to overfly or land in the State.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I will read out some of the facts. On 3 October, Omni Air, and the figure is given, on 4 October, another airline, on 4 October-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Where is this from?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I will send this on to the Tánaiste. These are all documented aeroplanes, either on contract to the US military or otherwise, that landed at Shannon Airport. These were all reported in The Ditch. Ed Horgan has also brought it to our attention. Yesterday, he documented three US warplanes were at Shannon Airport. Is the Tánaiste seriously telling me he is relying on assurances from our friend, America, that is backing Israel to hilt with arms and backing a genocidal war in Gaza? The figures are just incredible. I feel shocked reading out the figures for the deaths in Gaza. I deplore all violence. Let us not go down the route of just singling out one country with that accusation. A total of 16,756 children have been killed; the highest number of children. According to UNRWA, every day, ten children lose one or both legs. I could go on. Some 42,000 Palestinians have been killed and 100,000 have been injured, and this is backed to the hilt by American arms and they have given the thumbs-up. Do you know what they said? Just be more precise in your bombing. Try to avoid civilians.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy made various points there. First of all, I condemn the war on Gaza.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I was talking about the use of Shannon Airport.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know, but the Deputy has conflated everything.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I did not conflate everything.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not interrupt you, Deputy - through the Chair, if I may.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I apologise.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Let us be very clear: everyone in this House, regardless of their political leanings, has called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza. We have condemned the bombardment and the collective punishment of the people in Gaza. I also condemn what is happening in Lebanon, where one million people have been displaced. I condemn what is happening in the West Bank, where the Israeli Government, supporting settlers, has engaged in a new land grab with a view to undermining the viability of a future Palestinian state.

Charter planes carrying American soldiers have been landing in Shannon Airport for quite a long time. Those charter planes do not carry weaponry or military weapons. Different planes are characterised as military planes but this does not necessarily mean they are carrying any major cargo of weapons, which has been asserted from time to time. We have not received any evidence that major cargoes of military weapons are landing or stopping at Shannon Airport. The main use of the airport is commercial as a stopover for the transport of soldiers from all over the world.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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You cannot find out if you do not look or inspect or you rely on reassurances from an American state that is backing Israel to the core. The last figure I have is that the US has spent €17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since last October. This figure is from the Costs of War project by the Watson Institute at Brown University, released last Monday. The Tánaiste is telling me he has received reassurances and I am conflating things. I am conflating nothing. In my experience and from what I have read and learned, military planes carrying weapons are going through Shannon. They are either landing or going through our airspace. The Government has not checked so it does not know. How does the Tánaiste think the planes are getting to carry out the war in Israel and drop the bombs? What airspace are they using if they are not using Ireland's and if they are not landing in Ireland? The Tánaiste said earlier that they stop to refuel. There is an obligation and a duty on us not to be complicit in genocide, and we are complicit in genocide if we do not examine and inspect the planes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not agree with that. It is a fundamental distortion to suggest we are complicit in genocide and an outrageous assertion. It is also a bit propagandistic. I knocked on a door recently and the person who answered said to me that all the weapons are being supplied from Shannon. They had no evidence for this statement but this is what is being told. That misinformation is being created deliberately. There is also a degree of confusion being created deliberately between planes flying through sovereign airspace and landing at Shannon Airport. These are completely different scenarios. It is entirely possible for people to fly through our airspace and we may not pick up on it. I acknowledge that. We are not a military nation. We do not have fighter jets, nor are we patrolling the skies. We need a bit of perspective here in terms of the issue of sovereign airspace versus the airspace we control outside of our sovereign airspace.

There is a fundamental difference. The challenge is that no state exercises its jurisdiction over military aircraft that land. If the President of America lands at Shannon Airport, Air Force One, which is a military aircraft, is not inspected. There are different types of aircraft like that.