Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on Taoiseach Simon Harris to provide full answers to reports that aircraft carrying weaponry from the United States to Israel have flown through Irish airspace.
In a statement today, the Sinn Féin leader said the situation is in her view "unacceptable" and is a "conscious and grave breach of Ireland's neutrality".
Ms McDonald said: "Israel is waging a genocidal war on the people of Gaza. The idea that Israel would brazenly violate Irish airspace to transport weaponry and munitions used to commit these atrocities is unacceptable."
She said she has yet to receive a reply from the taoiseach after writing to him on the matter last week.
"He must urgently provide full answers. He must also outline what actions he will take in response to any violation of Ireland's airpace by Israel," she said.
The Department of Transport confirmed that it is "engaging" with the airline carrier involved in reports that Israeli-operated aircraft carrying weaponry from the United States to Israel flew through Irish airspace.
A spokesperson told RTÉ News that the Department "is in the process of engaging with the carrier".
The spokesperson also said the Department "is working through the data being reported" in relation to the situation.
Speaking in Paris, Simon Harris welcomed that the Department were engaging with the carrier in question.
He said he had been told consistently that no applications have been sought for such transport to take place over Irish airspace.
He said it was very important that the facts are established, and once the facts are established, the Ministers for Transport and Defence will provide a further update.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Department said the carrying of weapons of war is prohibited on civil aircraft in Irish sovereign airspace unless an exemption is granted by the minister for transport.
The spokesperson said "no applications have been received or exemptions granted for the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft operating through Irish sovereign airspace to/from Israel" either last year or so far this year.
It follows allegations on The Ditch website that cargo flights bound for Israel flew over Irish sovereign airspace this year carrying munitions for the IDF.
He told reporters that there are clear consent protocols that would need to be followed for Irish airspace to be used in this way and that his understanding at that stage was that no such consent had been sought.
In a separate statement yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs also said it was aware of media reports about the civil aircraft flights to Israel, and that any foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly or land in Irish sovereign territory or airspace are required to obtain diplomatic clearance.
The statement read: "Such clearance is subject to strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation.
"This diplomatic clearance procedure is fully compatible with Ireland's policy of military neutrality."
The Department of Foreign Affairs also said that no applications have been received or exemptions granted in 2023 or 2024 for the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to Israel.
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People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith has said media outlets would not make the claim about the flights if it did not happen.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said that even if the country's stance on the war in Gaza was set aside, it was still dangerous cargo flying over Irish airspace.
"And there's no contact with the Irish Government or the Department of Transport, this is outrageous," she said.
Ms Smith said there was legislation through which the Irish Government could take the airline to court and prosecute them for breaching rules.
"They are supposed to let our State know that they are carrying dangerous cargo through our sovereign airspace, and they haven't done so."
Green Party TD Brian Leddin said it was a "huge concern" after the Department confirmed it is "engaging" with the airline carrier.
Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said it was appalling that this has reportedly happened without any consent being sought from the Government.
"I'm very pleased that the Department of Transport has said it’s going to investigate the reports and find out more about what’s been happening," he said.
"Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza has been abhorrent and inhumane and this is just another element of that".
He said that it was important to find out what happened here as quickly as possible.
