Dr. John Lannon:

If I could, I would like Deputy Boyd Barrett to put the question succinctly to ask if there is political interference in relation to Shannon Airport. We have come with a series of questions, to which we need answers. There is a legal basis as well as a moral basis for what we are doing. To return to the point made by Senator Ó Clochartaigh on ministerial responsibility and the importance that the matter needs to be given. At a political and ministerial level we have found repeatedly that when we need to get information, that small snippets come from different Departments.

Therefore, the Minister for transport will give a small piece of information in regard to what is happening at Shannon, the Minister for justice will give a small piece of information, the Minister for Defence may give a small piece of information and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade may give a small piece of information, but nobody takes responsibility for these serious matters nor for all of the issues we and others have presented on numerous occasions, matters we are presenting again today. We need oversight of these matters. The issues are far too serious for Ministers to be passing the buck from one to the other. For example, when we ask about specific planes, we are told they are technically civilian aircraft rather than military aircraft, so instead of asking the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, we must ask the Minister for transport about them.

A co-ordinated and cohesive response must be provided to the serious questions we are raising. We need clarity around what Ireland is doing and supporting and around why we have been involved in the millions of deaths in Iraq, why we have been involved in deaths in Afghanistan and why we have been involved and complicit in torture. Somebody needs to take responsibility for this.