Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The issue of extraordinary rendition has been raised on numerous occasions in this House. As has been made repeatedly clear, the Government is completely opposed to the practice of the extraordinary rendition of prisoners.

Immediately following the first reports suggesting that the US was practising extraordinary rendition, the Government demanded and received specific assurances from the US authorities that such prisoners had not been transferred through Irish territory, nor would they be, without our permission. These assurances were confirmed at the highest political level. They are of a clear and categoric nature, relating to facts and circumstances within the full control of the US Government.

I am satisfied, as previous Ministers have been, that it is appropriate for the Government to rely fully on these assurances. We would not normally make reference to unauthorised documents such as those referred to in the recent commentary on this issue.

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