Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his passionate speech. Senator Norris concurred on its worth and on the Minister of State's eloquence. As we all know, the term "extraordinary rendition" refers to the extrajudicial procedure used by the United States for transporting terrorist suspects from one country to another to interrogate or imprison them in circumstances that give rise to a risk of torture or other cruel or inhuman treatment. Last June the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a resolution condemning what it termed the "spider's web" of CIA transfers and detention involving active or passive collusion by member states.

Extraordinary rendition represents what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights termed a complete repudiation of the law and the justice system. The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs have made it clear that the Government is opposed to the practice of extraordinary rendition. At the meeting of the temporary committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners the Minister stated that Ireland is absolutely and vehemently against extraordinary rendition and that we will not allow it to take place in our country. Speaking on RTE on 23 January and on Today FM, the Minister reaffirmed the point.

Mr. Fava, author of the European Parliament report on CIA rendition, breached protocol by leaving the meeting after the Minister for Foreign Affairs had made his opening statement. The Minister, one of two Ministers who attended out of the 25 entitled to appear, had the courtesy to attend for over two hours. How dare Mr. Fava treat our Minister for Foreign Affairs like that? He had to leave the meeting and did not have the manners to hear the response to his accusations. Mr. Fava has much for which to answer. There is collusion between him and Mr. Proinsias De Rossa, MEP. The American people have shown what they think of Mr. Bush, who is on the way out. The majority do not approve of the war on Iraq. When I came back from the US last year I predicted that Mr. Bush would not last long. There is extreme left-wing anti-American sentiment, which is totally stupid.