Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy cites a number of conventions. The European Court of Human Rights has determined that there must be substantial proof of a real risk of a breach of rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. To date, despite media speculation, we have no substantial grounds in that respect. I do not rely only on the assurances I received but also on other sources, including Human Rights Watch which recently indicated it would be unlikely for the flights in question to pass through major civilian airports. In its submission, that organisation referred to a number of airports but not Shannon Airport.

I answered questions in the House on suggestions made in the media that Martin Scheinin, the United Nations rapporteur on human rights, had received reports or complaints. When officials from my Department contacted his office, they were informed Professor Scheinin had not received complaints and the only contact made with his office from Ireland had been from journalists inquiring whether he had received complaints. Professor Scheinin was in Ireland just last week and did not provide any information regarding an investigation by him.

I cite comments made by Dr. Tom Clonan, an expert on defence matters who frequently appears on RTE, during a recent interview on "Today with Pat Kenny". Referring to his visit to Guantanamo Bay, Dr. Clonan indicated that he had asked, off the record, whether any new detainees had arrived in Guantanamo and if they had travelled through Shannon Airport. He stated: "To be honest with you the informal, off-the-record view, in so much as I can accept it, is that the CIA would not actually use Shannon for the transit of cargo". He added that the CIA would be more likely to use secure military bases.

I reiterate my central point that it is long-standing practice to accept categoric, unqualified assurances of a friendly government, irrespective in this case of what was said subsequently during Condoleezza Rice's visit to Europe. Ms Rice stated that torture is torture no matter where it is committed and there are not two standards of torture as far as the US Administration is concerned.

Another parliamentary question submitted to me concerns undocumented Irish people in the United States, an issue which exercises most Deputies. I must negotiate with President Bush, Condoleezza Rice and all the leading Congressmen and politicians in the United States on this issue. Will I negotiate with them on this or any other issue relevant to US-Irish relations while, at the same time, indicating that we regard the assurances given by the US Government on Shannon Airport as misleading? It beggars belief that we would go behind the back of the US when we have a special relationship with it which we want to continue.

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