Sir, – The danger we highlighted when we brought our Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill to the Seanad last May has now been proven by the Department of Transport’s own investigation which confirms at least nine flights illegally transported military weapons to Israel through Irish sovereign airspace since October (“Flights rerouted after reports of military cargo”, News, September 24th). This is in direct contrast to the claim Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan made in response to our Bill that: “No airport or Irish sovereign airspace, is currently being used to transport weapons to Israel, despite claims otherwise”.
Nine of 11 flights investigated were contributing to the flow of arms to Israel and we cannot know how many others may also have passed through our airspace. While current regulations allow the Minister to inspect aircraft, no inspections were carried out last year, including no inspections of the 1,000 flights which were given specific ministerial exemptions for the carriage of “weapons, munitions or dangerous goods”.
We cannot know what other military machinery may have passed through our airspace contributing to the death and destruction we see every day in Gaza, where the International Court of Justice has identified the risk of genocide.
The Government must end their “eyes wide shut” approach to the use of our sovereign airspace in clear violation of both military neutrality and domestic and international law.
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Our Arms Embargo Bill would have made inspections mandatory and banned the granting of exemptions to aircraft carrying weapons, munitions or dangerous dual-use goods potentially bound for Israel.
It is now clear the Minister’s public statements seeking to downplay the necessity for the Arms Embargo Bill were not accurate.
The Government must stop delaying the Bill’s progress and the Minister should use the powers he already has to immediately commence inspections and suspend the granting of exemptions. – Yours, etc
Senator ALICE-MARY HIGGINS,
Senator FRANCES BLACK,
Senator LYNN RUANE,
Senator EILEEN FLYNN,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.