We are now into the 12th day of the Iraqi war and casualties on both sides are mounting. We are being subjected to the most graphic and horrific descriptions of the consequences of war and the impact it is having on civilians and military alike.

The United States is committing an extra 100,000 soldiers and weaponry to this conflict. There was speculation at the weekend that Baldonnel and Casement aerodromes are now also being used for military flights in addition to Shannon. The Minister for Defence confirmed that no flights had gone through there since last July. Will the Taoiseach inform the House as to the facilities that are being made available? Under Irish law it is necessary that, in this instance, the United States would receive the authorisation of the Department of Transport for overflights and landing. Will the Taoiseach also inform the House of the number of flights and overflights, if he has that information, plus the weaponry that is being carried in landings and overflights that has been communicated to the Department of Transport or to the Government?

Is the Taoiseach in a position to give us a guarantee that there is no danger to Irish citizens, in view of the number of accidents that have occurred in Iraq because of inter-flying? God forbid, if an accident were to happen with the over-flights or landing of military planes at Shannon Airport or some other facility. Given that this matter is of serious concern to Irish citizens, has the Taoiseach been kept fully informed by the US authorities of the number of flights that are either flying over or landing and of the equipment, type and amount of weaponry that is being carried on any flights that are using our facilities?

What is happening in Iraq is clearly an enormous tragedy. Our view is, as it always has been, that these matters could have been resolved at the United Nations but that was not to be and, unfortunately, we are now into what everyone hoped we would avoid for all of those months. The reports are disturbing. We continue to do everything we can in terms of humanitarian aid working with the various agencies. That is where our focus has been for the past 12 days and where it will continue to be. I had an opportunity last week to refer to one or two of the agencies involved but there are a number of them working in the field. Deputy Kenny referred to reports about Baldonnel being used for military stop-overs. Foreign military aircraft occasionally use the facilities at Baldonnel, but no US military aircraft have landed at Baldonnel since the summer of 2002. Permission for the landing of foreign military aircraft at Baldonnel is granted subject to the usual stipulations, that the aircraft is unarmed and carries no ammunition, explosives or intelligence gathering equipment. There have been no landings at Baldonnel and no requests for such landings since the present US military movements began in the autumn of 2002.

I do not have numbers, but my latest information in relation to military aircraft at Shannon is that a very limited number of US airforce planes are currently using Shannon. I understand that US authorities do not anticipate any significant increase in the number of planes using Shannon in the period ahead. A few days' notice is usually given in these cases and we have not been given any indications as yet of further use of the airport. Obviously, a proportion of the civilian aircraft carrying additional US troops to be deployed in the Gulf may land at Shannon, but the usual rules would apply in such cases and they must inform us in such cases.

Civilian aircraft charted by the US military sometimes transport personal weapons and ammunition over Ireland, but permission for such flights must be sought from the Minister for Transport. However, there is no question of large-scale weaponry being routed to Iraq over Irish sovereign space. The US does not use our air space for that.

I thank the Taoiseach in advance for the Government's support for our motion on humanitarian aid to Iraq, which is due for debate this evening. At least the Dáil should be able to speak with a single voice on that issue.

The Taoiseach said that a very limited number of US military aircraft now use facilities at Shannon and that he does not expect a great increase in such usage. Has the Government been informed by the US of the number of overflights taking place. I am informed that on one night ten days ago, there were 63 overflights at 65,000 feet, and they would have refuelling facilities available to them. A court action is due regarding the legitimacy of offering the US the use of facilities at Shannon. The Taoiseach has been at pains to point out that Ireland is not a participant in this war, but what about military personnel who have passed through Shannon and might have been the victims of the suicide bombing in Iraq a number of days ago, or who are involved in the deaths of civilians at Basra? Does that not constitute assistance in the provision of facilities for the war effort? Does it not mean the Taoiseach's claim of non-participation in the war and non-contribution to the US war effort is invalid?

No, it does not. Under our law, it is clear that US use of facilities at Shannon does not constitute participation on our part. That has been the position down through generations. I know people continue to raise this issue, but the international legal position is that we are not participants in the war. We have provided facilities at Shannon for many different countries since 1955. I do not have exact figures of overflights, but I can obtain them for the Deputy. Over the first 90 days of 2003, 61 military aircraft landed at Shannon. I have seen questions put by Deputy Kenny suggesting that there were ten or 15 flights landing per day and that there were 30 landings on a single weekend, but in the whole 90 day period, only 61 US military aircraft landed at Shannon, and most of those were in January. It is not the case that the US flies heavy weaponry over Shannon. US planes carry personal ammunition but not heavy equipment. Last weekend, all the heavy equipment was flown to Iraq over Germany and France. That is the route the Americans are taking with their heavy equipment.