Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. When I said we should be opposed to the use of drones, I was of course referring to their use in combat rather than their use in surveillance work. Does the Minister recall whether the comments of the UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism were discussed at EU level? The rapporteur, Mr. Emmerson, is engaged in an ongoing investigation into lethal extra-territorial counter-terrorism operations. He has concluded that 33 drone strikes which are known to have caused civilian casualties may have been carried out in violation of international law. Mr. Emmerson has told the UN that the "single greatest obstacle to an evaluation of the civilian impact of drone strikes is lack of transparency, which makes it extremely difficult to assess claims of precision targeting objectively". He has also urged UN delegates to consider whether an absolute ban is needed on secret deals cooked up between states for engagement in joint military actions. Perhaps the Minister will elaborate on the discussions that have taken place at EU level. Is it proposed to discuss the legality of this activity, and the possible violation of international law, at the next EU Council meeting?

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