Green Party foreign affairs spokesman John Gormley today called on the Government to search US planes going through Shannon airport.
Mr Gormley's calls came after Swiss senator Dick Marty published the interim report of his investigation into allegations of CIA secret prisons in Europe.
In the report, Mr Marty said there was much evidence of "outsourcing of torture" by the United States but that he had not so far uncovered firm evidence the CIA ran secret prisons in Europe.
Mr Gormley said Mr Marty's conclusions justified his party's long-standing calls for US planes using Shannon airport to be searched.
"The circumstantial evidence is certainly strong enough to give rise to real concern, in this country, that there have been abuses of human rights legislation. . . . If the US government has nothing to hide then they have nothing to fear in this regard," said Mr Gormley.
However, when asked about rendition flights this afternoon, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said: "We have received an absolute assurance from the United States Government . . . that there has been never been an instance where an individual has been brought through Shannon airport in custody in a manner which breaches Irish law," Mr McDowell said.
Labour Party TD Eamon Gilmore said ministers would have to resign if rendition flights had used Shannon airport.
