Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
226. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the administrative error that led to the non-reporting of US military flights over Ireland (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29632/26]
View answer227. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the mechanisms being put in place to ensure that the administrative error that led to the non-reporting of US military flights over Ireland (details supplied) will not happen again; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29633/26]
View answer228. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which the administrative error that led to the non-reporting of US military flights over Ireland (details supplied) came to light; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29634/26]
View answer229. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the assessment being carried out in relation to the cargo of the non-reported US military flights over Ireland (details supplied); if this has been or can be established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29635/26]
View answer233. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how 248 overflights of Ireland's airspace by US military aircraft went unreported; if she can stand over her comment that there is "no reason to believe" US aircraft involved in the Iran war are overflying Ireland, when she did not know the full numbers of flights involved, much less the contents and destinations of them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29789/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 226, 227, 228, 229 and 233 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 subject to strict conditions 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 and fully understood by the United States and other international partners.
Each month, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade collects and publishes statistics detailing foreign military aircraft overflights in Irish airspace and landings in Ireland.
The Department has expressed its regret that, due to an administrative error, a figure relating to US overflights for the period from September 2025 to March 2026 had been misreported on the Department’s website. The error has been corrected and I have been briefed on the matter by my officials. Upon my instruction, officials in my Department have revised the system for the preparation and publication of these statistics to ensure that this regrettable error cannot occur again.
