David Norris (Independent)

I support my colleague, Senator O'Toole, in his call for a debate on Irish Ferries. Virtually everybody agrees that the buccaneering attitude of Irish Ferries towards its employees and the thuggish way it introduced people to its ships, effectively smuggling security officers onboard, is just not tolerable. The President of Cyprus attended today's meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs and indicated that the Cypriot Government is unhappy about the reflagging issue, although it may be compelled to permit Irish Ferries to reflag because of its obligations under international law. However, it was very interesting that the President himself raised the subject and received a round of applause at the meeting.

I have tabled a motion under Standing Order 29 requesting that this matter be discussed today as a matter of national priority and urgency. A similar motion was successful in the other House yesterday so it will be interesting to see the progress of this one.

I ask for a further debate on Iraq. I propose that we follow the example of the British Parliament and ask the Leader to establish a cross-party parliamentary committee to investigate flights through Shannon. The pattern of flights in the UK is the same as in this country and they are concerned that the situation implicates Britain in torture and extraordinary rendition.

Mr. Chris Mullin, a former junior Minister at Westminster, expressed his concern on television last night. The aeroplane that lands at Shannon was in the background of the shot throughout the programme, detectable by its registration number. We know the nature of the torture, namely, they drown detainees and revive them and use electric drills on them. What does President Bush have to do before the Taoiseach acts or says "Boo" to the Americans? Does he have to establish extermination camps in Shannon?