Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Yesterday, the European Parliament published a report on rendition to which the Government gave its usual response, which did not address the report. No one on this side of the House or in the country alleged that there were prisoners in the CIA planes that landed here because there is no evidence to that effect. We do not make allegations for which we have no evidence. The Government, however, continues to deny allegations that have not been made.

We want to know why the Government tolerated empty but profoundly suspect planes refuelling at Shannon Airport? In the eyes of Europe, we are tainted as being connected with the torture of people because we pretended that we did not know and said that we relied on the assurances of the US Government. Let me explain about that Government. It demanded and got access to our international banking transactions through SWIFT in Belgium without asking our permission or telling us in advance. Our Government, which has ignored that illegal activity and has allowed it to continue, wants us to believe that it is sufficient to accept the Americans' statement that they never did anything wrong.

A country that used to boast about its vigorous and brave neutrality and in which people from all parts of the political spectrum stood up for decency and human rights and opposed torture is now tainted by the fact that we have participated de facto in an extraordinary conspiracy of torture and breaches of human rights by allowing planes that carried people to be tortured to be refuelled and, sometimes, cleaned on our territory. The Government's response has been to close its eyes. I appeal for the establishment of an Oireachtas committee to investigate the truth of what happened at Shannon Airport. It will not be allowed, but we will ask again and again to clear the country of involvement in a conspiracy to hurt, damage and, perhaps, kill.