Government playing “political game of hot potato” over American planes at Shannon, says Bacik

An RTÉ report which found that nearly 2,000 US military aircrafts have passed through Shannon Airport with munitions of war on board has led to what Labour leader Ivana Bacik calls “a political game of hot potato.”

The RTÉ report  found that only 0.1% of applications from US civil aircraft were refused to land or fly over Ireland due to the “nature of the total munitions of war proposed to be carried.”

Bacik said that the governemnt is undermining Ireland’s sovereignty by kowtowing to American foreign policy.

The Labour criticised Tánaiste Simon Harris and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien for “abdicating responsibility”, and said that Harris and O’Brien were “attempting to foist the duty to inspect on the other.”

“Transportation of lethal weapons for use on civilians in illegal wars and deportations to conflict zones in breach of court orders – neither of these are actions which chime with Irish values,” she said.

“The people of this country are proud of our record on humanitarianism and observation of international law. Ireland’s status as a militarily neutral country places us in an almost uniquely advantageous diplomatic position. It is a position that enables us to take a lead at the UN. It is one that I hope will be used to bring a successful emergency resolution to the UN General Assembly to send an international peacekeeping force to Gaza (an initiative backed by the Dáil this week, following passage of a Labour Party motion).”

“All this is compromised if we allow our airports and airspace to be used as instruments of war,” she said.

“If the Irish Government is aware of the US’s use of Shannon airport to effectively expel migrants, it represents this Government’s continued complicity in the aggressive and illegal migration policies being pursued by the Trump administration. Incredibly, no US military aircraft and only 0.1% of US civil aircraft were refused permission to fly over or land in Ireland due to what the Government describes as the ‘nature of the total munitions of war proposed to be carried.”

“Last week, I raised with the Tánaiste the stopping at Shannon Airport of a plane engaged in the illegal deportation of 8 men from the US to South Sudan. Both he and the Minister for Transport have shown an astounding lack of curiosity on the matter. The Tánaiste’s reply to my question in the Dáil last week was highly technical, and failed to signal that there would be any clarification of the Government’s position on the US use of Shannon.

Bacik noted “the figures published by RTÉ today show that this use of Shannon is not a rarity but a regular occurrence. Moreover, the government is on notice of the US’s intentions. The drip feed of revelations are mounting. Why are we allowing US planes tied to illegal deportations and illegal wars to refuel on Irish soil? It is an extraordinary display of exceptionalism to allow this state of affairs to continue.”

“What’s more, it shows contempt for the public that the Government has somewhat understated the arrangement that appears to be in place with the US. We need transparency now and the sorts of agreements in place. Most importantly, the Government must instate an effective inspection regime. We cannot plead ignorance. It is not good enough for the Tánaiste and the Minister for Transport to play hot potato with political responsibility for this mess – they need to get their act together and start inspecting those planes.”