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WITH TWO MONTHS to go before the end of the year, there’s already been an increase in the applications to allow civil flights carrying weapons to land in Irish airports.
Ireland has a policy of neutrality, meaning that civilian planes carrying military weapons, ammunition, or equipment have to ask the Irish government for permission before using Irish airspace or landing to refuel in airports.
Last year, there were a total of 919 exemptions granted, with 334 of these in Shannon Airport. From January until October this year, a total of 938 exemptions have been granted thus far, and 423 landings at Shannon.
In 2016, 813 exemptions were granted out of 864 applications, and there were 210 civil flights carrying weapons of troops landing at Shannon Airport.
As a neutral country, Ireland refrains from taking part in other countries’ military operations; civil planes carrying munitions of war are prohibited in Irish registered aircrafts and airspace unless an exemption is granted by the Minister for Transport.
The Chicago Convention states that “no civil aircraft may carry munitions of war over a state without that state’s permission”; the Air Navigation Order allows for exemptions from the Irish State up to 48 hours prior to the flight departure.
The Minister has no function in relation to the transport of troops.
Minister for Transport Shane Ross has said that this was “fully consistent with Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality, as applied by successive Irish governments for over 50 years”.
Ross added that the Department of Transport consults with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on foreign policy issues when making decisions on exemptions.
Figures breakdown
A total of 953 applications for planes carrying munitions of war to land in Irish airports have been received between January and October this year.
Of this number, 938 were granted, and 14 refused. In response to a query from independent TD Clare Daly on five US military planes that landed in Shannon in October, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said that in the first six months of this year “my Department has recommended against approval of 12 applications for exemptions”.
Of those applications that were accepted, 499 were “overflights”, meaning they flew through Irish airspace, and 439 were landings at airports.
There have been 423 landings in Shannon Airport so far this year, and 16 in Dublin Airport. There have also been 16 landings in Ireland with “dangerous goods” on board.
The Defence Forces attended 82 US military aircraft landings at Shannon, costing the State €59,162.24 up until May of this year.
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been contacted for comment on what those dangerous goods were.
More transparency
A spokesperson for Shannonwatch, which monitors the foreign military use at Ireland’s third busiest airport with the specific aim of ending the US military’s use of it, said the increase in weapons being taken through Shannon is “extremely worrying”.
He said that the figures suggest that the government is “paying lip service to the notion of Irish neutrality”.
“They are facilitating wars right across the Middle East, allowing troop carriers and US military cargo aircraft to be refuelled at Shannon on a daily basis means that the Irish Government and the Irish people are possibly complicit in war crimes being committed in the Middle East.
The US has been supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia for the bombing of Yemen; without any proper oversight or inspection of what goes through Shannon how can we know that we are not part of the supply chain?
The spokesperson added that more transparency was needed over what is being taken through Shannon Airport, “and where the troops and weapons are going”.
“The authorities have refused to provide this information, even to elected representatives,” he added.
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Publishing a story at 5 minutes past midnight is a great way to pay lip service to an issue without risking drawing too much attention to it.
@*The* Brendan Gordon: Doesn’t have anything to do with LTBG.
@*The* Brendan Gordon: sure it will still be there first thing in the morning for everyone to read..
@*The* Brendan Gordon: they usually publish something important this time every night for everyone to read in morning…
Yea, you can scroll down past this mornings useless poll or the inevitable “wrap up, it’s going to be cold sometime within the next week” stories.
@Yorkie1892: most casual readers don’t scroll down that far or do a comprehensive catch up. It’s the online equivalent of burying a story on page 12
It’s shocking but no surprise, gardai had to intervene when a group of u s soldiers where strolling around Shannon town in full uniform. Irish neutrality is as real as snow in the sahara
And there are still a ton of flights never allowed near our airspace. Bombers, fighters, attack choppers, gunships, tank busters etc (actual war planes) are NOT allowed. Refuellers very rarely get through Irish airspace and those that do need special clearance. The Americans are declaring when they have military weapons and ammo on board, so well done them!
Oh and we are not neutral, we have agreements in place with the RAF so that they can protect us in a 911 type situation and depend on them when the Russians start snooping along our western boundaries. We do not have the defence forces to protect our so called neutrality. Check out how the Swedish and Swiss are able to at least try and defend their neutrality.
Grow up moaners and get over it!
@Paul Furey: Exactly…we’re actually quite strategically important stuck as we are in the mid Atlantic…and the whole idiotic idea that we’re in anyway neutral actually prevents us from fully capitalising on something that’s happening anyway. Besides it’s impossible for us to be truly neutral the way the world is at the moment…even traditionally neutral Switzerland aren’t really neutral anymore because being neutral would mean allowing the Iranians, the Iraqis (Saddams lot), the Afghanis(The Taliban) and about a dozen other entities the same things we grant the Americans, British and Russians…and even Ming and Mick aren’t that bloody stupid…
Absolutely no problem with it. Maybe the J could also do a piece on who exactly the Shannonwatch group are – members, structure, spokespeople, funding etc.
@Matt Connolly: Nothing on their website except for a PO BOX number and Gmail address, nothing against ICANN WHOIS, but their Facebook page brings up 0878225087. And according to a Google search, this phone number is part of what’s known as “Euro-Asia Centre” and based in the University of Limerick. All available and online in the public domain. Maybe the number on the Facebook page is wrong!
https://www.bizireland.com/euro-asia-centre-087-822-5087
Google returned this also when searching on the mobile
If it was Ireland been attack you wouldn’t have a problem with American soldiers coming to Shannon airport .
@Paul Smith: Who would attack us? Nobody who hasn’t actively meddled in the middle East has been attacked. If anything getting involved makes us more likely to be attacked. Aside from that, most of their wars are unjustifiable and we shouldn’t support them for moral reasons.
@SC: most wars are unjust. Well that’s a matter of opinion . Many wars are justified and the right thing to do . The consequences of not going to war could result in a greater loss of life . Nobody is going to invade Ireland . That’s why you have the option of been Neutral . Many countries don’t have that option .
@Paul Smith: Says who? You? It must be correct with your generalising assumptions then Paul. Im not happy with them passing through. America being at war the past 222 out of 229 years says something to me and are people trying to invade them? Not in my lifetime but theyve sure as hell killed millions upon millions around the world in the name of ‘peace’…. Fighting terror they say-they are the terror in my opinion and Id prefer to call on anybody but the US if we’re attacked.
@Daimhín De Naois: tell that to the people of Rwanda where a million died . You probably think the right thing to do was not to intervene . Over 40 countries served in Afghanistan. They obviously don’t agree with ya either .
@Paul Smith: More assumptions. You shouldnt. Rwanda? The US knew it was coming, hailed Musevini as a hero and ramped up aid while selling more military equipment in the years of the genocide than they had in the past 40 and him the architect and they KNEW. Youre right, tell that to the people of Rwanda.
I used to have a lot of time for Shane Ross.
Any word of where these munitions were headed?
Patricia McKenna had all this layed out 20 years ago ffx!!
And wasn’t there a “UFO” spotted over Shannon airspace last week?!
Chances are, another “weapon of war”
Thank God we’ve learned from all those articles and comments over the last few days about how awful war is, especially imperialist war. Well done, Ireland! Lest we forget!
@Paul Devlin: I’d say nearly everyone old enough on the planet already knew how awful war is and didn’t really need to learn from all those articles and comments over the last few days. Strange you only found out now. Oh well!
Nothing about how much it cost them, as long as they keep paying €€€
There are the military arms and equipment that are bringing wars and famine in the Middle East. So the next time there is a commemoration for the Irish famine, just remember we are helping driving one in Yemen.
Keep telling yourself we are “Neural” clearly Ireland has chosen sides!
Keeps the tills in the duty free shop full
Purchases of anything Oirish by the troops is always good .
people still think we wont be a target for ISIS!!!!!!!!!
@Brian Kelleher: Lefties Love ISIS, it’s a weird world.
@Thomas Molloy: Stop being silly. Lefties like whom?
@Paul Furey: He’s talking about those snowflake liberal cucks. Apologies if I missed out on any other trendy buzzwords.
Must be a quite night, normally get messages landing at Shannon 4 times a year
Define munitions of war. The definition is so broad it could mean anything from a harmless smoke canister to a nuclear bomb.
Money talks
Neutral!????
We cannot be neutral against the Taliban or Al Qaeda. I suppose the looney left in this country have a history of supporting terrorists.
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