In the Ireland, How Did They Fail to Spot Weston's Security Breach?

QUESTIONS have been raised as to how a review of customs controls at Weston Airport failed to identify a potentially serious security breach.

The airport, owned by businessman Jim Mansfield, has been facilitating foreign flights despite having no legal permission to do so as it is not a designated port of entry.

The Opposition has now called on the Government to explain how this was not revealed during a recent review of customs procedures at the airport undertaken by the Revenue Commissioners.

The Minister for Justice is currently considering an application to allow port of entry status for the airport.

Between 600 and 800 flights have used the Co. Kildare airport in the last three years, raising serious questions about security measures at small Irish airports.

The planes have been entering the State through Weston Airport, Leixlip, Co.

Kildare, without the consent of the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, who designates port of entry status on airports.

GardaI have admitted that because Weston does not have port of entry status, no Garda immigration checks are carried out there.

A spokesman said an exception was made in the period surrounding the Ryder Cup, 'during which special arrangements were put in place within the law' to deal with those flights.

But it is believed this was the only time that Weston was entitled to facilitate planes or passengers from outside the common travel area between Ireland and the UK.

News of the breaches have emerged following the discovery of cocaine and heroin valued at e6million in Belgium last September as it was being taken for loading on to a private jet owned by Mr Mansfield for transportation to Ireland via Weston.

At the time Mr Mansfield said he was unaware his plane had even been taken out of the country.

The businessman said he was only informed by the Garda in late January that he had no permission to facilitate aircraft at Weston whose journeys originated from outside the common travel area.

Mr Mansfield said before gardaI contacted him he was unaware he should not be facilitating some planes and passengers and he was never contacted.

Labour Finance spokesman Joan Burton has called on the Government to explain how Weston has been allowed to handle foreign flights without having any legal permission to do so.

Deputy Burton also called on the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen to explain how this fact did not emerge during the review by the Revenue Commissioners.

She said a full review of all local airports in the country needed to be carried out to ensure no similar breaches of security were taking place.

'Since it emerged last year that the Belgian authorities had intercepted a consignment of heroin and cocaine valued at e6million on a plane that had left Weston, and was allegedly en route back to the same airport, I have been persistently raising the adequacy of security measures and the absence of a full time customs presence at Weston and other local airports,' said deputy Burton.

'As recently as last week I received a letter from the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, assuring me that the Revenue Commissioners had concluded a review of customscontrols at Weston and other licensed aerodromes. What possible reliability can the public place on these assurances from the Minister and the Revenue when it now emerges that Weston did not even have the necessary permission from the Department of Justice to accept foreign flights.

'How is it that in the review of customs controls at Weston, they did not even check with the Department of Justice as to whether or not the airport was entitled to accept foreign flights?

'The Revenue is responsible for customs control. The Department of Justice is responsible for immigration control. Do they not even talk to each other?'