Official double standards

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday January 28, 2003 18:39 by Eoin O'M.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0128/shannon.html

Irish Government backed into a corner...

I have just read on RTE site that the numbers of exemption permits for planes with munitions have been released. Dail motion also mentioned:

RTÉ News has learned that there has been a substantial increase over the past week in the numbers of US civilian aircraft seeking permission to carry munitions on their way through Shannon Airport.

The Department of Transport has told RTÉ that, since 1 January, the number of exemption orders granted was 26.

For the first three weeks of January it was only seven.

It therefore appears that, following a tightening up of the regulations over the past week, at least 19 flights through Shannon have confirmed to the Department that they were carrying munitions and have sought approval to pass through.

It is understood that in recent weeks, the Department wrote to all of the airlines concerned and made them aware of the air navigation order for the carrying of munitions of war through Ireland.