The New York Times reported that a plane carrying eight deportees, in violation of a court order by a federal judge in Boston, stopped at the airport in Co. Clare this week.
The judge had barred the US administration from deporting people to countries that were not their own without giving them enough time to object.
The article said that the flight landed at Shannon at around 9.39pm US time on Tuesday and departed at about 11.47pm before going on to Djibouti.
"I’m trying to establish the facts on this now in real time, because I’m aware of the US media reports," Tánaiste Simon Harris told RTÉ Radio.
"We’ve been very active, from an Irish embassy point of view, in providing consular support to citizens who have been caught up in these stronger, for want of a diplomatic phrase, enforcement policies around migration."
He added: "I have no reason to believe the procedures in place for the use of Irish airports by foreign aircraft has been breached by the United States, but I am seeking more information from my department this morning on this matter."
Tánaiste Simon Harris.
Asked if Ireland was complicit in illegal US deportations, he said: ‘I want to get legal clarity in relation to this before speaking with great certainty, because of the seriousness of the matter.
"But I think complying with US law is obviously a matter for the US administration. Complying with our own laws is obviously a matter for the Irish State and the Irish Government. So let me try and establish more in relation to this, as my department is."
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He continued: "There are very clear rules in relation to flights that can and can’t stop over in Shannon and what they must do and not do, and we need to see whether this was in compliance with that.
"This is a story that’s only emerged in US media, so I’m trying to get on top of it now."
A spokesman for the Department of Transport confirmed that the flight was allowed to land in Shannon Airport.
He said: "The Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention), and its associated annexes established the framework for the operation of international civil aviation. Both Ireland and the United States are contracting parties to this convention.
"Article 5 of this convention provides for the right of air operators of contracting parties to operate non-scheduled overflights and stops for non-traffic purposes (e.g. refuelling) in the territory of the other contracting parties.
"This provision is provided for in Irish law in Article 3 of the Air Services Authorisation Order 1993."
Mr Harris has said he does not believe weapons are being flown through Irish airspace to Israel, but added that more international co-operation was needed to find out what is being flown above Ireland.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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