The plane used by the CIA to transport the Egyptian cleric Abu Omar after he was kidnapped from a street in Milan in February 2003, stopped over in Shannon the next day on its return to Washington, according to Euro-control records provided to the European Parliament.
Mr Omar was kidnapped on February 17th 2003 in Milan and brought to Egypt. The plane used in that operation, a Gulfstream jet with the flight number N85VM, landed in Shannon on February 18 thon its return journey to Washington. It remained in Shannon for a full 24 hours.
Euro-control provides air traffic control for European air space. Their records were provided to the European Parliament's inquiry into extraordinary rendition.
This makes Ireland an accomplice to illegal rendition, according to Labour Party MEP Proinsias de Rossa.
Speaking in the European Parliament today, Mr de Rossa said the Government had a responsibility under the UN Convention Against Torture and the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure that Irish territory was not used as part of the rendition circuit "irrespective of whether or not prisoners were on board these flights".
"The Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern needs to explain why the Government refused to accept the advice of the Irish Human Rights Commission to put in place a system of random inspections of CIA flights into Ireland to prevent, insofar as we can, the rendition of prisoners to countries where they will be tortured," he said.
According to Euro-control records, there have been 147 stopovers by CIA operated planes in Ireland. It is not clear how many of these planes were engaged in activities contrary to international law or if they were carrying passengers.
Fianna Fáil MEP Eoin Ryan said he looked forward to Mr Ahern's appearance. He said the minister will indicate the Government's opposition to rendition.
The draft report produces no evidence of rendition flights through Shannon, he added.
"In fact what the report really points to is an exercise in gesture politics. This report praises the role that journalists and NGOs have played in highlighting that flights of rendition have taken place in recent years."
Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesman John Gormley the report shows Ireland "played its part in the extra-judicial detainment and transport of citizens".
He said the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is due to appear before the committee on Thursday, was "in denial" about Ireland's role.
"A report from his own Department of Foreign Affairs states very clearly that the arrangement for military stopovers with the US was on an 'exceptional basis'. Are we to presume then, that allowing flights used for rendition purposes to pass through Shannon was on a very exceptional basis?"