Ireland's neutrality is being seriously breached by allowing US warplanes to fly through Shannon Airport, a veterans' group has said today.
The claim was made by Veterans for Peace Ireland, who laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance this morning while calling for an end to wars worldwide.
They claim that at least one US warplane a day is passing through Shannon, carrying up to 300 troops each.
Organiser of Veterans for Peace, Edward Horgan, said that US planes do not need to use Shannon Airport to refuel.
"The US can fly through Scotland, they can fly through all the NATO countries, including England, Scotland, Wales, Germany - they no longer need to use Shannon Airport, other than to involve Ireland in this Coalition of the Willing," he said.
"Ireland should never have given its permission in the first place, and we should withdraw it in order to restore our neutrality, which is most seriously breached."