Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Irish Human Rights Commission has been in contact with him regarding the practice of extraordinary rendition and the likely use of Irish air space for this illegal practice; if he will institute a parliamentary inquiry as requested by the European Parliament into the alleged use of Irish air space for extraordinary rendition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31354/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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As I have said many times before in this House, the Government are completely opposed to the practice of so-called extraordinary rendition. Our concerns in relation to this matter have been made clear to the highest levels of the US Government, including by the Taoiseach to President Bush. The Government received specific assurances from the US authorities, confirmed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to myself, that such prisoners have not been transferred through Irish territory, nor would they be, without our permission.

Over the past two years, my Department, at my request, has had detailed exchanges with Dr Maurice Manning, the President of the Irish Human Rights Commission, on a range of issues related to extraordinary rendition and has set out the Government's view that we are fully in compliance with our international obligations. My officials have also met with the Commission for a very full discussion on issues of concern in this area. On the matter of a Parliamentary inquiry, the call in the Report of the European Parliament for the Government "to agree to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the use of Irish territory as part of the CIA rendition circuit" ignores the fact that it is for the Oireachtas to decide its own work schedule. It also ignores the fact that Seanad Éireann has on three separate occasions voted not to institute a specific enquiry. The issues surrounding extraordinary rendition have been extensively debated in both Houses of the Oireachtas, and both have passed motions supporting the Government's policy in this area.