A comprehensive inspection and monitoring regime should be put in place to ensure that no foreign aircraft suspected of involvement in "extraordinary rendition" uses Ireland as a transit point, the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) told an Oireachtas committee meeting yesterday.
The committee on foreign affairs met following a report published last week by the IHRC in which it dismissed as insufficient US government assurances that Irish airports have not been used as refuelling stops for US aircraft involved in "extraordinary rendition" - the practice of transporting terrorist suspects to third countries where they may be tortured.
Commissioner Suzanne Egan repeated this assertion at the meeting, adding that the Government's "reliance on diplomatic assurances and investigations on the foot of complaints from ordinary citizens is inadequate." She said the Government must be "proactive in meeting its human rights obligations" through an inspection regime established "to put the risk of torture beyond doubt".
She said the views of the IHRC were based on "very credible evidence" that Shannon has been used by aircraft involved in the rendition process.
Rory Montgomery, political director at the Department of Foreign Affairs, stressed the Government's "complete opposition" to the practice of extraordinary rendition and said there was "no evidence, nor even any concrete assertion" that any renditions had taken place through Ireland.
He said the Garda already had full authority to search aircraft in circumstances where it had grounds for suspecting illegal activity such as rendition.
He added that no EU member state has introduced a system such as that proposed by the IHRC. Des Hogan, of the IHRC, countered that Ireland could be a pioneer in this area, adding that the "deterrent effect" of an inspection regime should not be underestimated.