Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the arrangements made with the US authorities for the reception of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay; the number proposed; the arrangements therefore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14600/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, on 22 January, President Obama issued an Executive Order announcing that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close within one year, which I warmly welcomed at the time. The US has sought the support and assistance of EU partners in bringing about its closure. Work is proceeding at the EU level for a co-ordinated approach on the issue. The Presidency and the Commission visited Washington in mid-March for discussion with the US Administration regarding the practical and legal issues which have to be addressed in such cases. These discussions are ongoing. EU Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs have considered the issue at JHA Councils on 26th February and 6th April 2009.

While the question of whether Member States might accept former detainees remains a national decision, the Member States are agreed that the EU-level discussions with the United States Administration on this matter should take their course.

I had a useful discussion with Secretary of State Clinton on the issue when we met over the St Patrick's Day period. At that meeting I reiterated that we had long called for the closure of the facility at Guantanamo Bay, and that we would wish to be helpful in facilitating its closure. This position was confirmed by the Taoiseach in a television interview shortly afterwards when he argued that it is incumbent on those who called for the closure of the Guantanamo detention centre to assist the United States in ensuring that certain prisoners be relocated elsewhere and expressed Ireland's readiness to take a small, proportionate number of detainees.