A number of aircraft that flew though Irish sovereign airspace, while allegedly carrying munitions, may not have needed to seek permission for “some of the cargo”, according to Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.
Mr Ryan said “provisionally it appears that several may not have been required to seek an exemption” and were not in breach of international law, or at the very least there was “ambiguity” about it.
Civilian aircraft carrying “munitions of war” through sovereign Irish airspace, which extends 22km (12 nautical miles) from the coast, must seek an exemption from the Minister for Transport to do so. The Department of Transport previously confirmed that no licences for the transport of such goods to Israel were sought in 2023 or to date in 2024.
An investigation by the department is continuing following reports that a number of flights carrying munitions ultimately destined for Israel transited through Irish airspace since October of last year.
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“I can say that provisionally it appears that several may not have been required to seek an exemption,” the Minister told the Dáil. “It would appear that some of the cargo carried may not have required an exemption, or at the very least there is ambiguity as to whether an exemption may have been required.”
Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú referred to comments last week by Tánaiste Micheál Martin suggesting some aircraft flew through Irish airspace to save fuel and said they had to make sure that this was in “no way” allowed.
His party colleague Matt Carthy said it was “very likely” Irish sovereign space had been used in breach of international law and accused the Minister of putting the matter on the long finger because Mr Ryan would not be contesting the next election.
Mr Ryan said he was already seeking to strengthen Irish law to search and “sample” flight cargo before The Ditch website first reported such overflights.
But he stressed that examining each flight and its cargo was complex and time consuming. Sometimes they may be directed or required by air traffic control to enter airspace they had had not intended to travel through for a number of reasons “such as weather issues of traffic flow management”.
Department officials are still investigating and then the action to be taken will “have to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the legislation”.
The Minister said the department had no mechanism to know whether there were munitions overflights unless permission was sought and it “would be unusual” for the department to receive information that an aeroplane already overflying Irish space is carrying weaponry.
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