Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I second the motion. I support every word uttered by my colleague, Senator Ryan. The report last week of the EU committee has raised again an issue which is a matter of great concern to a large body of the public. While it may not seem like the most pressing issue to some people, it goes to the heart of a matter of fundamental importance, how we conduct ourselves as a sovereign State, especially in terms of how another state gets to use our facilities during a war.

It is notable a survey conducted by Amnesty International and Lansdowne Market Research showed that 76% of respondents thought the Government should be checking US flights through Shannon. This confirms my view that at some level, whether we like it or not, the public does not fully trust or believe assurances from the US Government or diplomatic sources when they state Shannon Airport is not being used for the transportation of prisoners or for rendition purposes.

The use of the word "rendition" is symptomatic of an element of this entire debate, the use of words in a confusing or incorrect way. We are talking about a breach of international human rights law. As my colleague Senator Ryan stated, Ireland has been the proud upholder of democratic values and has sincerely tried to spread the word about democracy around the world. The effective kidnapping of so-called suspects and their incarceration in Guantanamo Bay in the manner in which they are held undermines the stated value of democracy and offends countries around the world for whom democracy is held sacred, including Ireland.

Ireland and the USA have had an excellent relationship at many levels, political, historical and economic. It pains many people to find themselves in a situation where they are concerned about how the US is conducting itself on this issue, and especially how the Government is conducting itself in this regard. This is an important matter for us as a sovereign State. Many people feel we need to assert ourselves in order that our values are not undermined by our involvement, at whatever level, in the activities of the US Government in the matter of rendition. That is why a parliamentary inquiry on behalf of this sovereign State is so important. It is a pity the initial all-party consensus on this matter and the concerns expressed by Members of this and the other House from all parties was not acted upon but allowed to effectively die on the vine. An Oireachtas inquiry is the best way to restore public confidence in our ability to conduct our affairs on the international stage. If such an inquiry were to take place it could have the effect of allaying public concern on the matter. Let us have an inquiry because what we have at present is suspicion and concern and the element of not knowing.

In response to the publication of the draft EU report the Taoiseach asked last week to be shown the evidence. We cannot be clear on evidence when we do not have a system where our authorities automatically check out what is happening with CIA planes landing at Shannon. We know the Garda has acted on complaints and, as Senator Ryan has said, there has been one incident where a US military officer, under arrest for theft, was transferred by use of military personnel from Kuwait to the US, via Shannon, which was illegal. The ambassador apologised for it but called it a misunderstanding and said that was the reason for it happening. This has been highlighted as an example of what we do not know and what we only find out by accident.

There was also the report, in The Irish Times in May 2006, that an aircraft technician saw a detainee shackled to the floor of a US plane at Shannon Airport in 2005. This claim was made by Edward Horgan, a former Army officer and anti-war campaigner, and was based on information he received from a third party. This kind of drip-drip information adds to public concern and the sense that at some level we are willingly used by the US in the matter of CIA flights using Shannon Airport.

I was one of many thousands who protested on more than one occasion at Shannon Airport on the issue of the war against Iraq and, in particular, concern about the use of Shannon Airport for the landing of military aircraft on its way to Iraq. There is no doubt that concerns still exist among Irish people about the use of Shannon Airport for military flights. That is not precisely the subject matter of the debate today but it is important to implement a ban on CIA aircraft using all Irish airports. This would probably be the most effective way of restoring public confidence alongside a parliamentary investigation. It would be hugely important to act against the background of our long-standing and good relationship with the US. We would also establish our position as a sovereign State in the matter of human rights at home and particularly our concern and commitment to human rights on an international level. We cannot stand idly by and pretend it is not a matter for us. It is a huge issue for us. It is a moral issue as well as a political and human rights issue and is one that can no longer be ignored.

I commend the draft report from the EU. It is no secret that our colleague, Proinsias De Rossa, MEP, has played a major role in drawing up the report and has made a huge contribution to it.