Senator calls for EU probe into lack of flight inspections at Shannon

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

A senator has asked an EU anti-fraud watchdog to investigate whether the State is failing to inspect “high-risk flights” into Shannon Airport.

Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson said the party had written to Olaf requesting an investigation into Ireland’s “failure to inspect” the flights and enforce EU VAT obligations.

Speaking to reporters at Leinster House, she said there had been a “lack of credible action from the Government when it comes to Gaza” as she focused on the flights into the airport.

She said she had written to the watchdog to request that it inspects the Government’s protocols and procedures for investigations of high-risk aircraft that are travelling through Ireland.

“Under EU legislation, the Government has an obligation to inspect high-risk aircraft,” she said.

Ms Stephenson said this means military-contracted flights or aircraft using known military transport routes, for example, to Azerbaijan before being sold to Israel.

She said the Government had an obligation to conduct EU tax and customs duties and inspections to collect relevant duties if the flight is leaving the EU through Ireland.

“Whether the Government is doing that is a different question – because we’ve been told they can’t possibly inspect flights.”

Ms Stephenson said she wrote to Olaf last week and informed the Attorney General about the referral on Monday.

She said she is yet to hear back but added that she did not expect Olaf to be “fast moving”.