BY MARY REGAN
ALMOST €10million has been spent in just three years on protecting US troops passing through Shannon Airport on their way to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Irish Department of Justice figures show the cost of providing garda security at the airport was €8.6million between 2006 and 2008. This includes €2.8million on garda overtime, more than €1million in expenses and subsistence claims by the gardaí and €4.8million in salaries.
During the same period, the cost of army patrols at the airport was €964,702, according to Defence Minister Willie O’Dea, bringing the total cost of security at the airport to close to €10million.
The latest figures show more than 243,000 US troops passed through Shannon Airport in 2009 — or 665 per day.
This brings to more than 1 million the number of military who used the airport en route to US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since the start of 2006.
Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín O Caoláin said the cost to the taxpayer is a “disgraceful situation” and something that should be properly debated in the Dáil.
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