Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

As my colleagues know, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is in Brussels. With the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's permission, I propose to take the questions together.

There is no question of Ireland having colluded with the CIA or with any other body in the matter of extraordinary rendition. Ireland is completely opposed to this practice and has made that emphatically clear on a continual basis, including directly, and at the highest level, with the United States. The US authorities have fully accepted our position and have made it clear that prisoners have not been transferred through Irish territory, nor would they be, without our permission.

Senator Marty suggested that Ireland, along with a number of other states "could be held responsible for collusion". The Government strongly disagrees with this position. The Government is satisfied that it is fully in compliance with its obligations under international law in regard to the issue of extraordinary renditions. Ireland has not been involved, either passively or actively, in any unlawful activity. The connections with landings are made long after the fact on the basis of the imposition of a pattern of movements on flight data obtained long after the landings took place. In this respect, there is no new evidence regarding Ireland upon which Senator Marty could base his claim.

Nothing in Senator Marty's report suggests that any evidence exists that flights carrying prisoners may have transited through Irish territory. It contains nothing which would question the value of, or undermine, the categorical factual assurances we received from the US authorities.

Regarding the landing at Shannon Airport of aircraft alleged to have been used earlier for extraordinary rendition purposes, I again point out that these allegations are based on the retrospective imposition of a pattern of movement on flight data some considerable time after the fact. They do not involve any claim of illegal activity on Irish territory. In this regard, as I repeatedly stated in the House, the Government has received categorical and unambiguous assurances from the US authorities that prisoners have not been — and would not, without our permission, be — transferred — through Irish territory.

Senator Marty has not at any stage contacted the Government regarding extraordinary rendition. The comprehensive nature of Ireland's investigation of these matters has already been endorsed by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, when he adjudged Ireland's submission, along with only eight others out of a total of 45 submissions, not to require further clarification.

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