Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 February 2006
246 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government knows of any flights to, from or over the State’s territory by aircraft chartered by the CIA or related agencies; if so, since when and the frequency of same; if permission was requested from the Government or the competent authorities for the flights and overflights in question; and if so, their response to same. [3608/06]
View answer247 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the information which must be provided in support of a request for flights or overflights from the CIA or related agencies; and if this information includes a list of passengers names, weapons, personal firearms and the type of cargo on board. [3610/06]
View answer248 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the implications the NATO accords or other similar agreements have for the procedures for requesting permission for flights or overflights from the CIA or related agencies; and if these procedures only apply to miliary flights or can be extended to civilian flights. [3612/06]
View answer249 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government knows of, or if it has tolerated by adopting a passive attitude, the illegal transportation of prisoners on flights or over flights passing through the State’s territory; and if so, when this has been the case. [3614/06]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 to 249, inclusive, together.
The Government, as I have assured the House on numerous occasions, is utterly opposed to the practice of so-called extraordinary rendition. Any suggestion that the Government would tolerate such a practice is completely without foundation.
I am aware of media reports that a number of civil aircraft alleged to be operated on behalf of the CIA have transited through several European countries and in his reply of 13 December 2005, my colleague, the Minister for Transport, furnished details regarding the movements of certain such aircraft. However, none of these reports has included any concrete evidence or specific allegations that prisoners have been transported through Irish airports as part of a so-called extraordinary rendition operation. In addition, the Government has sought and received categoric assurances from the US authorities in this regard.
Civil aircraft, including civil aircraft chartered by the CIA, are not required, in accordance with the 1944 Chicago convention on international civil aviation, to seek permission to land here unless they are engaged in commercial operations in this country.
State aircraft, on the other hand, are required to apply for permission before landing in Ireland. In the event that the US authorities were to request such permission for a State aircraft operating for the CIA, the Department of Foreign Affairs would require, in keeping with standard practice, an undertaking from the US Embassy that the aircraft would be unarmed, would not be carrying arms, ammunition or explosives, would not be engaged in intelligence gathering and was not taking part in military exercises or operations. These conditions are not legal requirements but are policy stipulations which are applied at the direction of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Other data sought would include the type and registration number of the aircraft, its call sign, the purpose of the flight, the nature of any cargo, its destination and point of departure and the estimated times of arrival and departure.
