labour facilates seanad debate on cross party motion on extraordinary rendition

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday March 06, 2006 18:13 by cafe - Labour

The Labour Party will use its private members time in the Seanad this week to facilitate debate on a cross party motion proposing the appointment of a Select Committee of Senators to examine and report back on claims that U.S. aircraft landing at Irish airports have been involved in the so-called extraordinary rendition of prisoners.

The text of the motion is exactly the same as that earlier agreed by an informal all party committee of Senators that included the Leader of the Seanad, Mary O’Rourke and P.D. Whip, John Minahan. The government parties later withdrew their support for the motion.

The motion which will now be co-sponsored by Fine Gael and the Independent Group will be taken in the Labour Party Private Members Time at 5.00pm on Wednesday.

The Leader of the Labour Group in the Seanad, Senator Brendan Ryan said today:
“This is a carefully and responsibly worded motion that does not prejudge the outcome of any investigation that would be undertaken. It was drafted with full legal advice taking into account Ireland’s rights and obligations under international law. I originally proposed that the Committee should have an inbuilt government majority, and the motion going before the House on Wednesday will provide for this.

“I am disappointed that having originally signed up the motion, the Fianna Fail and PD representatives later backed off. I believe that this was done under pressure from members of the government at the highest level and I regard it as an unacceptable interference in the work of Seanad Eireann.

“A number of national and international legislatures, including both the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have established committees to inquire into the broader allegations that have been made across Europe. It is entirely appropriate that the Seanad should conduct a similar inquiry into those allegations specifically relating to Irish airports.

“I would far prefer to have this motion going before the Seanad with the support of all parties, but Fianna Fail and the PDs opted out. I look forward to government Senators who previously supported the text of the motion now outlining their reasons for opposing it.

The motion reads as follows.......................

‘‘(1)(a) That, having regard to:
(i) recent reports that US aircraft landing at Irish airports may have been used to transport persons to locations where they may be at risk of being subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; and
(ii) Ireland’s obligations inter alia under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention Against Torture) Act, 2000, the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights Act, 2003; a Select Committee, to be known as the Select Committee on the Use of Irish Airports, consisting of seven Senators, shall be appointed to consider:
­ the above-mentioned reports and any others of a similar nature which may come into the public domain;
­ the mechanisms whereby the State or its agencies can ascertain the purposes for which aircraft landing at Irish airports are being used and the overall extent to which such mechanisms have been invoked since 1 January 2002;
­ the mechanisms whereby the State or its agencies can investigate, whether on foot of allegations or otherwise, whether persons are being transported, via aircraft landing at Irish airports, to locations where they risk torture or inhuman or degrading treatment and the overall extent to which such mechanisms have been invoked since 1 January 2002;
­ whether Irish laws and practices ensure adequate safeguards to prevent a breach, by the State and/or by any foreign official in the jurisdiction, the abovementioned international human rights instruments and any other relevant laws; and shall report thereon to Seanad Éireann by 1 June 2006.
(b) The quorum of the Select Committee shall be four.
(c) The Select Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 65(1) to (9) inclusive.’’