David Norris (Independent)

President Bush will probably be impeached before that date.

I welcome this debate and commend the Labour Party for tabling the motion; it has done the House a service. I have been involved in this area for some time, having proposed the establishment of a committee of inquiry into renditions. Although my proposal was agreed in the House, it was later sabotaged in a most astonishing and regrettable manner.

It is worth pointing out that it was I who reported matters to the Garda Commissioner. As a result, two senior officers were sent to meet me. I brought Deputy Michael D. Higgins of the Labour Party with me to the meeting as a witness. The officers flatly contradicted statements by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, about the right to enter aircraft. It is precisely to investigate in this jurisdiction conflicts of evidence of this kind that such a committee should be established. It would also enable us to amend the law if necessary.

When it emerged that the Minister would appear before the committee of investigation established by the European Parliament I wrote a letter to its chairman enclosing correspondence between myself and the Department of the Foreign Affairs and reports of the House. I indicated that I hoped the documentation would enable the committee to prevent the Minister for Foreign Affairs from claiming he was unaware of what was taking place because I and Members of the Other House had ensured the Government was aware of what was taking place.

The Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, should note remarks I made on the Order of Business regarding the amendment, which I described as a disgrace. I also noted it was not written by the Leader, in whose name it had appeared on the Order Paper. I hope images of her nodding vigorously when I described it as a tissue of lies, evasion and hypocrisy will be shown on television. At least Senator O'Rourke has a few standards and some decency.

I will explain the reason I described the amendment in those terms. The second paragraph states that the Government responded urgently from the outset to allegations of extraordinary rendition. That is a downright lie. The Government equivocated and avoided answering questions. The fourth paragraph states the Government co-operated to the very fullest extent with the investigation carried out by the European Parliament's temporary committee. It did not do so. For God's sake, on what planet are we living? Co-operation only occurs when both sides agree it occurred. The TDIP committee's report makes perfectly clear that the Minister did not co-operate, refused to answer questions and answered questions he was not asked. The Government engaged in a stalling exercise throughout, yet this lying motion blandly states it co-operated fully. Let us at least have the truth.

The fifth paragraph states that contrary to the apparent misconception of the TDIP committee, it is not for the Government to direct the work of the Oireachtas. Of course it is for the Government to do so. This debate is a classic of how this is done and I should not have to tell Ministers that the Government directs the Oireachtas. While the Houses may have an appearance of independence, every vote is directed. It cannot be denied, for example, that the committee democratically instituted in this House was collapsed by a division directed by Government in which Senators voted against their consciences because they were whipped.