A Garda overtime bill of almost €1.1 million and Army allowances of €720,000 were spent on protecting US aircraft going through Shannon Airport since September of last year.
Figures issued yesterday show Army personnel were paid €40,000 a week in allowances over an 18-week period this year for their role in the security operation at Shannon.
Army personnel securing the perimeter fence at Shannon received €720,000 in allowances between February 5th and June 10th, before their presence at Shannon was scaled down.
A spokesman for the Defence Forces explained yesterday that the estimated €40,000 a week was over and above what Army personnel normally receive.
Garda reinforcements and the Army were called in to secure the airport in the aftermath of two attacks by six anti-war activists on a US aircraft at Shannon in late January-early February, causing an estimated €4 million in damage.
Large numbers of gardaí from the Clare Garda division were engaged in the operation, resulting in the division's overtime bill for the first six months of 2003 reaching €1,212,000, almost four times the figure of €357,000 for the corresponding period in 2002.
The Garda figures, issued through the Department of Justice, show that of the €1,093,000 spent on overall Garda overtime at Shannon from September 2002 to the end of last August, most (€1,059,000) had been spent since January.
In spite of the security operation being scaled down, large numbers of US troops continue to pass through Shannon, with Aer Rianta figures confirming yesterday that 10,333 US troops transited on 141 military flights in September.
The September total brings the year-to-date total to almost 100,000 troops, with Aer Rianta figures showing that 92,617 troops have stopped over at the airport on 1,246 flights since January 1st.
It is estimated that Aer Rianta has earned more than €11 million to date this year from the US military flights.
Supt John Kerin of Ennis Garda station acknowledged yesterday that the overtime figures were huge sums, but he pointed out that there had been 23 anti-war protests at Shannon since February 2002. As a result of security breaches and anti-war protests at Shannon, 25 anti-war activists have been before the courts, with 15 banned from entering Co Clare as a result, and fines imposed.
Supt Kerin said yesterday that the overtime figures relating to Clare were misleading as gardaí seconded on temporary transfer from other divisions for the Shannon security operation were included in the Clare overtime figures.
Supt Kerin pointed out that the operation at Shannon had been scaled down over the summer and was currently the subject of another review. He said that 24 probationer gardaí were supplementing the regular presence at Shannon.
The Defence Forces spokesman confirmed that the Army had withdrawn from the airport, but remained on stand-by.
