A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs has said a report in today's Examiner newspaper, which claims that the Government has refused to allow U.S. special forces to use Irish airspace is untrue.
Dermot Brangan said no decision had been made on the matter as yet.
Mr Brangan said that any aircraft over-flying Irish airspace required permission to do so, subject to the condition that they would not be carrying weapons.
He said exceptions however could be made to this, where for example, a UN resolution has been taken, which would oblige Ireland to bend the rule.
Under the Air Navigation Foreign Military Aircraft Act of 1952, all foreign military aircraft require the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to overfly or land in the State.
In the case of routine landings of military aircraft, permission is granted on a case by case basis, subject to confirmation that the aircraft is 'unarmed, does not carry arms, ammunition or explosives'.
A general proviso in the Act allows the Government to suspend this clause, as it did during the US attacks on Iraq.
There, Ireland complied with its obligations under a UN resolution, which supported the US' s right to self-defence in its 'war on terrorism'.
