The Taoiseach came under Opposition pressure Dail to condemn the US and British air strikes on Iraq.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, asked Mr Ahern if he agreed that the unilateral action taken by the US and UK forces against the people of Iraq was unwarranted. "Does he agree that the security council should at least have had the opportunity to discuss the contents of the Butler report from UNSCOM on allegations of non-compliance with the inspection force by the Iraqi government?"

Mr Quinn said the action taken on Wednesday night, and apparently between now and the start of Ramadan, would kill Iraqi men, women and children and would not, in so far as could be seen, have any effect on the lethal capacity of Saddam Hussein to wage aggression on his neighbours.

The Democratic Left leader, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said the attack was in gross breach of the UN charter. "No opportunity has been given for a debate at the security council of the Butler report. Does the Taoiseach agree that wealso need to raise at UN level the manner in which sanctions causing the death of 6,000 children per month are being imposed on Iraq?"

Mr John Gormley (Green Party, Dublin South East) said it was a clear breach of international law. He asked Mr Ahern if he agreed it was "a cynical attempt by President Clinton to divert attention from his domestic difficulties".

It was outrageous that innocent people could lose their lives so that Mr Clinton could save his political skin. "Will the Taoiseach dissociate himself, in the same way as the French, Chinese and Russian governments have done, from this attack and make it clear where he stands on this atrocity?"

Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) said the Taoiseach should condemn, in front of the world, the appalling deployment of destructive military capacity against Iraq. "Will he warn against the slaughter and injury of innocent Iraqi children, women and men, compounding the crimes of the economic embargo against the Iraqi people, as a result of which up to 5,000 children die each month from a lack of medicine?"

Mr Ahern said the air strike took place following the report of the UN inspectors, UNSCOM, that it would be unable to complete its work on the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction because of obstruction by the Iraqi authorities.

"This Government regrets that it was impossible for the UNSCOM team of inspectors to complete its work. We are disappointed that the use of force was deemed necessary."

He added that the Government would like to see, regardless of any dispute with the Iraqi government, the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people being properly addressed.

The use of force should be kept to a minimum to avoid the further suffering of the Iraqi people and the potentially destabilising consequences in the Middle East, he said.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said many people had a difficulty with the decision having been taken by the military authorities in two states, without consulting other European states. There was a lack of information on the legal basis for and the causes of the attack.

He said the Taoiseach should ask the Austrian presidency of the EU to convene a meeting where all EU members could discuss the matter.

Mr Michael D Higgins (Labour, Galway West) called on the Taoiseach to "unequivocally deplore the replacement of diplomacy by military action".

Describing the Taoiseach's remarks as a "disgrace", Mr De Rossa claimed that Mr Ahern was actually supporting the bombing. "This is in blatant breach of an article in the Irish Constitution which states that Ireland adheres to the principle of the settlement of international disputes by arbitration."

Mr Ahern said he would have liked a situation where there was no force and where the matters could be resolved by peaceful means. He was not aware of any request for refuelling at Shannon by US military planes.