The Government is to reconsider introducing inspections on US military-related flights landing in Shannon after a US marine being held prisoner was transported through the airport without the necessary permission being obtained from the Irish authorities.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern told journalists the Government was "now going to engage with the US embassy with a view to strengthening the verification procedures and if that entails inspection so be it. We have an open mind in relation to that."
The matter only came to light when cleaning staff boarded the plane at Shannon during a refuelling stop last Sunday as the aircraft was en route from Kuwait to the US.
It has emerged the Government has no proper arrangements or protocols in place for the notification of incidents of concern by airport authorities relating to US military flights. In this case Shannon airport did not inform the Government or the Garda about the incident but raised the matter with the US embassy staff.
The Government is already under renewed pressure to introduce random inspections on US military-linked flights landing in Ireland, in the wake of a last week's Council of Europe report about the so-called rendition of prisoners by the CIA using private jets and also urgings from the Human Rights Commission in Ireland.
The Minister has consistently said he accepts the categoric assurances of the US authorities that there have been no renditions through Irish airports, although yesterday both Fine Gael and Labour said there could be no reliance on such promises in the wake of Sunday's incident.
The marine was handcuffed and manacled and was dressed in military clothing on the Omni Air International flight.
He had been convicted in connection with the theft of clothing while serving in the Middle East and was being transported to the US city of Royston, Georgia, on a civilian aircraft carrying about 180 other military personnel.
Mr Ahern described as an "administrative cock-up" the failure on the part of the US authorities to seek permission from the Department of Justice for the transfer of the prisoner through Ireland.
However, he said the incident, which took place on Sunday, was in no way related to the recent controversy across Europe regarding extraordinary rendition flights. Ireland would never support extraordinary rendition, he added.
He said the matter was being treated with grave concern by the Government.
He briefed the Cabinet yesterday on the incident and summoned the US ambassador to Ireland, James C Kenny, to the department's offices in Dublin where he outlined the State's concerns.
Mr Kenny had "conveyed his deep regret for the breach of procedures". The possibility of random inspections was raised at both meetings, the Minister said.
Mr Kenny said the US authorities were now reviewing procedures. He also confirmed that embassy and military staff in Dublin had not been notified of the prisoner's transfer by their own services and were first contacted by Shannon airport about it.