The Government has assured the US Authorities that it will pay for the estimated €500,000 damage to an American plane at Shannon early yesterday. Government sources said it had a legal liability to do so.
The assurance came after the US expressed concern to the Government about security at the Airport. The issue was raised yesterday morning by a senior diplomat at the US Embassy with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The outgoing American Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Richard Egan, also raised the issue with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, at a farewell lunch for the Ambassador yesterday.
Government sources confirmed last night that the US Authorities had asked the Government to review security arrangements at Shannon in the light of the continuing protests at the airport over its use by the American military for the build-up of its forces in the Golf region.
Conor Lally adds from Shannon: Hundreds of US troops in full military attire were enjoying duty-free shopping in Shannon Airport last night as the Dáil debated the US military's use of the airport.
Protesters at a peace camp outside the airport said that they believed just one plane carrying troops had landed at Shannon in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Two more civilian chartered aircraft landed yesterday afternoon.
One large group of troops, numbering several hundred, all clad in khaki uniforms, disembarked from one of the planes and mingled with passengers in the bar and duty-free area.When they returned to the aircraft after about three hours, most were carrying duty-free bags. While many of the troops were carrying what appeared to be standard-issue backpacks, they were not carrying arms.
The troops were clearly visible from the public viewing gallery. They did not enter the main concourse of the airport, remaining instead in the duty-free area, close to where the planes were parked.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport declined to say how many troop-carrying aircraft would be passing through the airport yesterday.