Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

The census process undoubtedly is of critical importance to the people and to those of us who seek change for good in society and who rely heavily on its findings in respect of unemployment rates, income levels and so on across the counties and regions of this State. Consequently, it is a project of critical importance that is undertaken periodically.

However, I am strongly of the view that the project was undermined this time. Information has come into the public domain concerning one of the private companies that assisted the CSO with this census. While I acknowledge it has assisted the CSO in the past, this information has only now come to light. I refer to the private company CACI UK, which was awarded a contract worth €5.8 million to assist the CSO in a number of roles pertaining to the undertaking of the census.

In respect of CACI, I refer to hundreds of torture victims from Iraq who were forced to endure Abu Ghraib and all Members are familiar with both the scandal there and the images sent around the world. CACI, the parent company based in America, is before the United States federal courts, having been taken to court by hundreds of victims. Moreover, their case is supported by the Center for Constitutional Rights, a group established in the 1960s by those who are campaigning for civil rights in the United States. Members will recall those campaigns for the rights of black people in America, involving people such as Martin Luther King and many others who we celebrate here in Ireland in particular. The aforementioned civil rights organisation is supporting the hundreds of victims who are taking a case against the very company that worked on the Irish census. This constitutes an absolute shame on our people and the Government has ignored this because this point has been put to it.

I refer to another company with which, sadly, Ireland has a relationship, called L-3 Integrated Systems, which also is being taken to court in America for its alleged involvement in acts in Iraq. This company has aeroplanes that fly through Shannon Airport and two of which, with registration numbers N475LC and N478GS, are regular visitors to Shannon Airport. Therefore, one must ask serious questions about the approach being taken by this State on two levels. This concerns private companies that were involved in heinous acts and which have been taken to court both by the alleged victims and by reputable and highly respected groups that protect citizens' rights in America.

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