Almost 10 million euro has been spent on protecting US troops passing through Shannon Airport since 2006.
Figures from the Justice Department published in today’s Irish Examiner reveal that 8.6 million euro was spent on providing Garda security at Shannon between 2006 and 2009. This includes almost 3 million on overtime and a further million on expenses and 4.8 million on salaries.
At the same time the cost of army patrols at the mid west airport was over 964 thousand euro.
Over 243 thousand US troops passed through Shannon last year, an average of 665 a day and brings the total number to over a million since 2006 – its worth around 7 million euro to the airport.
Anti war campaigners have severely criticised the cost and believes it undermines Irish Neutrality however the government argues that the missions are being carried out under a UN mandate.
