Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The Minister will be aware that two years ago Ms Mary Kelly had her conviction for damage to a US naval aircraft overturned in the Court of Criminal Appeal because it was deemed to be a defence of lawful excuse if the action she took was designed to protect herself or others from a bigger danger. That, in essence, is what Ms Margaretta D'Arcy has also done. Her stance is a stance against the greater problem of the slaughter in Iraq and the continued use of Shannon Airport to facilitate drones and other military aircraft. It is quite an insult to people in this State for the Minister to talk about enforcing the rule of law, saying it must be upheld in this case, and talk about this almost-80-year-old woman being a danger to lives while there is no such talk from him about the law being upheld in investigating US military aircraft landing in Ireland and no such talk about the endangering of lives that results. There has been no report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, which asked the Minister to update it on the investigations he has carried out to ensure that our airports are not being used for purposes for which they should not be, because he has not carried out such investigations, yet the Minister has the neck to condemn this woman. We urge him to see sense and the greater good in this scenario.

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