Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

In his response to Deputy Kenny, the Taoiseach indicated that, in his view, there is no threat to us whatsoever. Does that also reflect the view of the interdepartmental group and has it examined in detail the security implications for the people of this country of the Taoiseach continuing to allow the use of Shannon as a staging post in the Iraq war?

Given that the US authorities are employing the services of what can only be described as private armies in the Iraq conflict, are they also being afforded access to the facilities at Shannon? For instance, does Blackwater, which has been associated with atrocities in Iraq, use Shannon as a throughway going to and from its engagements in Iraq? Although they are private companies, are they posing as civilians and being afforded the same facilitation as so-called regular USforces?

Has the Taoiseach ever raised with the British Prime Minister, now retired from that office, or the new occupant of No. 10 Downing St, the continuing threat to the people of this country from the presence of weapons of mass destruction on the neighbouring island of Britain, namely, its nuclear arsenal? There is a well-documented threat in regard to its civil nuclear facilities at Sellafield, to give but one example, but there is also presumably a threat to the safety of the people of this island from the arsenal of weapons of mass destruction held by the British Government in the name of the people of the island of Britain. Has the Taoiseach ever raised the concerns of the people of Ireland regarding the presence of such weaponry in close proximity to our population?

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