Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

We do not dispute the fact that the Minister received a categorical statement from the United States on these matters. However, if he considers the suspicious patterns of aircraft, numbers, routes and quantity involved, does it not raise a reasonable suspicion that there is something strange about them that might require extra action on the part of the Government? Senator Marty came to the conclusion that the Irish were passively at fault in respect of transfer of prisoners in the case of extraordinary rendition. How will the Minister respond to that? Will there be an individual response or will a collective response be issued in conjunction with the other countries that have been found to be passively responsible? I presume that the countries that have been found to be actively involved will simply admit it.

Ireland is a neutral country. It is one of the few neutral member states of the European Union. In that context and taking account of the extra sovereignty our neutrality underpins, in respect of the pattern of strange CIA activity on our soil, there is an additional onus on the Minister to ensure that he will go one step further and not simply accept statements from another nation, friendly though it may be. We must exercise our international and domestic right to ensure that Ireland, as a neutral sovereign country, is absolutely satisfied that nothing illegal is taking place on our soil.

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