Jim Glennon (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

I wish to preface my remarks by stating that this is my first contribution in the Chamber since the death of the former Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil, Mr. Charles Haughey. I wish to associate myself with the tributes paid to him yesterday. He was a constituent of mine, as well as everything else. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Before anybody from this side of the House speaks on an issue such as this, particularly on a motion tabled by Deputy Michael D. Higgins, it is appropriate to pay tribute to him for his long career in the area of human rights and the passion he brings and has always brought to the issue. As a mere spectator for many years in the sport of politics, I found his contributions were not only worth listening to but also worth re-reading and giving due consideration. I pay tribute to him for that. However — after those opening remarks, there must be a "but" — this unusual issue seems to be black and white. There is little grey area. The Government's position is clear, although the Opposition position appears, to it, to be clear.

The clarity of the Government's position deserves to be repeated, and it can be set out in a few short and simple sentences. It is that, first, the Government is totally opposed to extraordinary rendition and has made this clear to the US authorities at the highest level — it was made clear to President Bush by the Taoiseach and to Secretary of State Rice by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern. Second, in the context of extraordinary rendition the Government has received clear, factual and categorical assurances from the US authorities that prisoners are not transported through Ireland. That position is simple and is summed up in those two sentences. To suggest otherwise is an injustice.

My colleague, Deputy Carey, put the case particularly well earlier in the debate. He stated:

Extraordinary rendition is an issue on which the Government has taken a great deal of unwarranted flak, largely I suspect at the hands of people who are determined to look more at rumours than at facts. In the matter of extraordinary rendition, having received assurances, as the Minister has, of unsurpassed quality obtained early on from the US authorities and confirmed by the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the Government is in an extraordinarily strong position, especially in the European context. Are we to ignore these on the basis of a series of unsubstantiated allegations? I believe we cannot do that.

In tandem with Deputy O'Connor, I am no apologist for George Bush or his regime. Even if he were standing again and I was in a position to offer electoral support, it would not arise.

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