David Norris (Independent)

I have indicated that some of it is contradicted by senior Garda officers. The Senator also asked about aid or assistance in the transportation by aircraft or otherwise of persons so deprived of their liberty. Is it beyond the intelligence of a small section of the Fianna Fáil Party to understand plain English? If one refuels an airplane, one is facilitating its operation. It is part and parcel of the flight and would be so understood in international criminal law.

The Government says that in the interests of the proper operation of the security and safety of an aerodrome or the security and safety of persons, aircraft or other property thereon, a garda may arrest without warrant any person who assaults or whom he or she reasonably suspects to have assaulted another person. This is a series of five flights where we know that people were assaulted. This has been determined in several European courts. The pilot of that airplane was the same pilot who brought it back through Shannon. We know he was involved in the assaults. Why was nothing done? Why did the Government not ask who was in the airplane? Why were the airplanes not inspected?

The gardaí told me — this is laughable — that they interrogated the cleaners. The cleaners might notice the odd cigarette packet on the ground but they would not notice the subtle adaptations so people can be shackled and manacled in the aircraft. The Government signally failed in its duty to inspect and that is why this part of its answer is a downright lie and a disgrace to the Irish people.