Woman asked to remove breast prosthesis at airport

A woman who had a mastectomy has said she was “stunned” when she was asked to remove her breast prosthesis after setting off a new security scanner alarm at Dublin Airport.

Realtán Ní Leannáin, who is from Belfast but lives outside Dublin, was travelling to Donegal.

She said she was “like a rabbit caught in the headlights” during the incident.

Dublin Airport has apologised and said the situation should have been handled better.

Ms Ní Leannáin told BBC NI’s Evening Extra programme: “The security officer didn’t even offer to pat me down. She stood and waited for me to remove the prosthesis.

“I couldn’t actually think. Every time I attempted to rationalise it, I couldn’t.”

The new security scanner technology tends to show up a triangle and a warning light when it detects the prosthesis, Ms Ní Leannáin said.

In other airports, such as Glasgow and Amsterdam, she has been briefly searched or been able to explain her situation.

However her experience at Dublin Airport was very different, she said, and the security officer told her she needed to see her prosthesis.

“When it was half out she went, ‘Okay, go ahead’. I picked up my bits, sat down for a coffee and that’s when it started to hit me.”

Ms Ní Leannáin said she emailed the DAA, operator of Dublin Airport, after last month’s incident and asked for assurances it would not happen again.

She said the airport “couldn’t give that answer” and that was why she was speaking out.

She has called for airport protocols to be clearly outlined online for herself and others in a similar position.

“I would like to see it up on websites or with airlines, where you go to book your ticket and you’re told you can’t bring on scissors or x amount of liquids,” she said.

A DAA spokesperson said an investigation into the incident “concluded that the situation should have been handled better”.

“We are very sorry that our passenger had a negative experience when travelling through Dublin Airport recently,” they said.

“All passengers in such situations can request a private screening, which is then facilitated by a trained member of staff.

“Regrettably, this did not happen on the day in question. We offer a full apology to the passenger and can assure her that steps have been taken to ensure a similar situation is avoided in the future.”

Ms Ní Leannáin said she had not been offered a private search and she did not realise she could request one.

However she said it should not be necessary for travellers to ask for private screenings.