Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I welcome this opportunity to address the Seanad again on this issue. As Senators may recall, in March I had the privilege of addressing this House on the subject of extraordinary rendition. I wish to place on record once again the Government's opposition to the practice of extraordinary rendition. This has been the Government's constant position since the existence of this practice was revealed. It has been made clear to the US authorities on numerous occasions, including at the very highest levels. As stated by my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in Dáil Éireann last night, the Irish Government was the first government to raise this matter with the US Government, just as he was the first Minister to raise it with our EU colleagues last autumn, under the British Presidency.

Extraordinary rendition is a subject in which Ireland has taken a leading, proactive role. We are in an unparalleled position regarding the unqualified, categorical assurances that we have received from the US authorities on this matter, both in terms of their specificity and of the level at which they were given. The United States authorities have declined to issue similar blanket assurances to most other member states. We are one of only three countries in this position in Europe. Those who speak of the Government's doing nothing wilfully overlook the fact that we acted swiftly and decisively to confirm the realities of the situation.

Before addressing the substance of the motion before us, I wish to emphasise one important fact. Since I last spoke in the Seanad, no new evidence has emerged to implicate Ireland in any way in this practice. A number of investigations are being carried out in Europe into this matter, analysing flight patterns, satellite photographs and other sources of intelligence. Nothing that has been unearthed suggests that prisoners may have been transported through Ireland as part of an extraordinary rendition operation.

I reiterate the point made in Dáil Éireann last night, that in his recent report Senator Dick Marty makes no claim that prisoners may have been subject to extraordinary rendition through Ireland. It is encouraging to see that Senator Marty follows the approach of the executive director of Amnesty International in Ireland, Mr. Seán Love, who wrote in February last that those who "continue to focus their debate about 'extraordinary renditions', on whether or not prisoners have been or are being transferred through Irish Airports...are missing the point".