The hearing on Friday in the Irish court of appeal is the latest chapter in independent senator Gerard Craughwell’s three-year campaign to find out whether the Irish government has an agreement, rumoured to have been sealed after the terrorist attacks on the twin towers in New York in 2001, with the UK in the event of a hijacking or a terrorist attack in Irish airspace.
A legal bid to establish whether or not the Irish government entered a secret pact with the UK to defend Irish airspace in the event of a terrorist attack will be heard in Ireland’s high court on Friday.
Craughwell took the case after the government refused to answer his questions on whether it had made an agreement “which allows, causes or permits UK military aircraft of the RAF to enter Irish airspace”.
In papers submitted to the court last year, he asked if “pursuant to that [supposed] agreement the RAF has permission to fly into Irish airspace and intercept and/or interdict aircraft that poses a threat to Ireland and/or the UK”.
Last year the high court ruled that his case could be heard on the grounds it was “justiciable” but on Friday the Irish government is appealing that decision, which will either result in the matter being ended or going to full trial.
