Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

We utterly condemn torture that is meted out in contravention of any of these conventions. When media reports have raised the specific issue of the use of Shannon, I have repeatedly instructed my officials to raise the matter with the US authorities. We have been given categorical assurances on this matter. It is the same situation as pertained over the past 50 years about the use of Shannon, whether it concerned Kosovo, Somalia or other events including Vietnam and Korea.

The alleged use of what are called "black sites" in continental Europe has been raised recently.

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