Ministers to be quizzed on UK ‘airspace deal’

The ministers for defence and foreign affairs are to be asked if there is secret deal between the government and the British which allows their military aircraft fly over Irish airspace whenever they want.

The questions are being raised as the fall-out continues from last week’s Cold War-era cat and mouse game between British Typhoons and Russian ‘Bear’ bombers.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged that the aging Soviet-era bombers, one of which was claimed to be carrying a nuclear payload, strayed into Irish-controlled airspace with its transponders off – making it virtually blind to civilian aircraft.