Taxpayers may foot bill for US plane repairs

TAXPAYERS may have to pay the €1.1 million repair bill for damage caused to a US Navy plane at Shannon by a peace activist.

Talks are taking place between the Irish and US governments about the repair costs, it was confirmed yesterday.

A spokesperson at the US Embassy in Dublin said: “the issue is under discussion between both governments.” The Airport Authority at Shannon said it was not liable for the damage.

One source said taxpayers may have to pay the bill for the damage as the aircraft was under the protection of the Irish security forces at Shannon when it was struck with an axe about 25 times on the morning of January 29, 2003.

A detective on duty discovered damage to the plane at about 5.47am on that date. The plane had arrived earlier from a military base in Texas. Peace activist Mary Kelly got a suspended jail sentence at Limerick Circuit Court last Wednesday for causing malicious damage to the plane.

The mother-of-four, who is 52 tomorrow and has an address at Fort Lorenzo in Galway, received a two-year suspended jail sentence and a further 12-month suspended sentence for entering the airport illegally.

She was also ordered to stay one mile away from Shannon airport and to be of good behaviour for four years. Ms Kelly struck the fuselage of the plane more than 25 times with an axe, causing major damage.

Most of the damage was caused to the nose of the plane.

Before being arrested at the scene by the detective, Ms Kelly lashed out at the wheel of the aircraft.

Because of the damage, the aircraft was unable to continue on its journey. Emergency repairs had to be carried out at Shannon before the plane was flown back to the US for further repair work. The plane was purchased by the US authorities within the previous 12 months.

Ms Kelly readily admitted causing the damage, saying she wanted to prevent the plane from going to Iraq “to kill innocent people”.

Before imposing sentence, Judge Carroll Moran said he had a duty to prevent this type of act being carried out again.

“Society at large expects me as a judge to stop and prevent the social anarchy that would prevail if people were allowed to take the law into their own hands,” said Judge Moran.

Speaking after the court case last week, Ms Kelly said: “I hoped for the best but I was prepared for the worst. I’m delighted to have my freedom.”

There have been a number of incidents at Shannon involving people who set up the Peace Camp on the perimeter of the airport.

Extra security measures were introduced after the Kelly incident.