John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

Is the Minister not being entirely disingenuous when he says that this is a matter for the Oireachtas? In both Houses, the Government parties have a majority. If they so wished, they could have an investigation into extraordinary rendition, but they clearly do not want one. Why do the Government parties, the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil, resist calls for such an investigation? Might it not be the start of a process allowing us to get to the bottom of this and find out exactly what has gone on?

The Minister must accept the clear and undeniable fact that aeroplanes used for extraordinary rendition have stopped at Shannon to refuel. He goes on to state in his reply that some CIA flights are quite innocuous. However, today we have seen that City of Derry International Airport is expected to be the first in Europe officially to ban controversial CIA flights transporting terror suspects to secret prisons. If Derry can do that, why can we not do the same in the Republic? What is the problem with that?

Perhaps the Minister might also clarify this. He has spoken of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, stating that it needed to be amended. What precise amendments does he have in mind? Before me I have Article 16 of the convention, which seems quite clear:

The appropriate authorities of each of the contracting States shall have the right, without unreasonable delay, to search aircraft of the other contracting States on landing or departure, and to inspect the certificates and other documents prescribed by this Convention.

Perhaps the Minister might answer those questions, starting with the last.

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