The Government is spending nearly €1.5 million a year to pay air-traffic control and communications charges for foreign military aircraft flying in Irish airspace, it has emerged.
The disclosure was condemned by Labour Party TD, Ms Róisín Shortall, who said the public would be "shocked and surprised" that they are paying the bills of EU airforces.
Under a 30-year-old Eurocontrol air navigation agreement, member-states are obliged to exempts flights by search-and- rescue and small aircraft from charges - along with aircraft transporting a head of state.
However, member-states are not required to exempt military flights. Like most European countries, Ireland has availed of the option to give them free passage.
Ireland gets little back under the Eurocontrol agreement since the Air Corps fleet hardly ever flies into foreign air space - with the exception of the Gulfstream IV jet used by Government ministers.
Last year, the Government paid €1.062 million in air-traffic charges and another €340,000 in communications charges to the Irish Aviation Authority for services provided to foreign military aircraft. So far this year, the IAA has been paid €1.027 million and €310,000 for foreign military air- traffic control and communications bills, the Department of Transport told The Irish Times last night.
Calling for a review of the agreement, Ms Shortall said the use by military aircraft of Irish airspace has generated controversy for many years.
"Ireland is clearly a significant loser here as very few Irish military flights overfly other countries, but our position on the edge of Europe means that many foreign military flights go through Irish airspace."
The information about the Eurocontrol charges emerged in a written parliamentary answer last week to Ms Shortall from the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan.
In a statement, the Labour TD said the answer showed 6,881 military aircraft flew over Ireland in the first nine months of the year - almost the same number as did so during all of 2001.
Besides controlling domestic airspace, the Irish Aviation Authority is also responsible for some 100,000 square kilometres of international airspace off the west coast. Set up in 1960, Eurocontrol manages the upper airspace of member-states. In 1969, it devised a system of payment to ensure air- traffic controllers were paid for dealing with flights.
