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.

The Irish Examiner asked Department of Defence if the British jets had entered Irish-controlled airspace at any time during their “shadowing” operation and if there was a deal to allow British military aircraft fly into our airspace whenever they liked. The department said it was making no comment on these queries and on the claim that one of the bombers was carrying a nuclear device.

All the Department of Foreign Affairs would say was that the Russian Tu-95 bombers strayed into Irish-controlled airspace, but refused to answer the two questions.

Fianna Fáil spokesman on defence, Sean O’Fearghail, said he was concerned that Irish neutrality was being compromised and he has prepared a number of questions for the Government which are to be aired in the Dáil early next week.

“I have a concern that there may be a deal in place (with the British). I will also be asking what is known about what the Russian planes were carrying,” he said.

Norwegian and British intelligence sources have claimed that one of the Russian bombers was carrying a nuclear device designed to search for and destroy submarines.

Mr O’Feargail said he would also be asking the Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, what plans are in place, if any, to modernise the Air Corps.

In a statement, the IAA said foreign military aircraft do not require advance permission to fly in Irish-controlled airspace, which is outside of Irish sovereign airspace, and which extends more than 250 miles off the Irish coast.

However, it said normally where foreign military aircraft are conducting exercises in this airspace, the IAA is notified in advance and civil/military coordination is facilitated.

It said this did not happen in the case of the ‘bear’ bombers.