Seanad report: An attempt to get an emergency debate on a combined Opposition motion to establish a select committee to investigate whether Irish airports have been used for "rendition" flights failed by 28 votes to 18 following acrimonious exchanges across the floor.
The leader of the House, Mary O'Rourke, was one of three Fianna Fáil members who were absent for the vote. Her office said that she was undertaking pre-arranged official functions in the midlands. The other Fianna Fáil members were paired with Fine Gael Senators.
The motion in the names of 25 members called for the establishment of a committee to consider the mechanisms whereby the State or its agencies could investigate, on foot of allegations or otherwise, whether persons were being transported, via aircraft landing at Irish airports, to locations where they risked torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, and the extent to which such mechanisms had been invoked in the last four years.
The motion also sought to ascertain whether sufficient safeguards existed to prevent breaches of international human rights instruments.
Following the announcement of the voting outcome, David Norris (Ind) described members on the Government side as "gombeens", provoking calls for him to be thrown out of the chamber.
The Cathaoirleach, Rory Kiely, said Mr Norris's comment was unparliamentary and that he should show respect for the House, its members and himself.
Leading the calls for a debate on the motion, Brian Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, appealed to the Government side to refrain from using its blocking majority. He said he believed there was cross-party support for the setting-up of a committee to explore the whole question of extraordinary rendition "and the use of Irish airspace and Irish airports for this".
Formally moving that there be a debate on the motion, Mr Norris said that the attempt to establish a select committee had been subverted last week as a result of the intervention of a number of people including those who had been influenced by councillors. "I would have thought in the light of the behaviour of a number of councillors, people would be very careful in the national parliament before doing their bidding."
Tim Dooley (FF) said he opposed the motion on the grounds that other investigations were being conducted by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. He believed that a purpose of the establishment of the committee was to fan the flames of the anti-American lobby which, unfortunately, was prevalent in this society.