Airport security measures must be enforced

Minister Leo Varadkar has announced (Morning Ireland, May 15) that new security measures are being implemented at Dublin airport as a result of a European audit of airport security.

He stated that these measures included searching of all aircraft transiting through Dublin airport, but went on to say that this applied to Dublin airport only and not to other Irish airports.

While such improvements in airport security are welcome, it begs the question as to whether such measures are to be enforced as all Irish airports, and if not, why not?

This applies especially to Shannon airport where successive Irish governments have failed to ensure that gardaí and airport security at Shannon search or investigate US military and CIA aircraft transiting through Shannon.

This has resulted in Shannon airport being used to facilitate the so-called “extraordinary rendition” of prisoners, some of whom have been tortured, and the likelihood that some US soldiers transiting through Shannon have been guilty of war crimes.

Investigations by the European Parliament (TDIP Committee), Council of Europe, Amnesty International, and UN Human Rights Committee have all indicated that CIA aircraft associated with “extraordinary rendition” had been repeatedly refuelled at Shannon airport, and Wikileaks revelations showed that Irish Government ministers were aware of this.

Edward Horgan

Newtown

Castletroy

Limerick