01/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - Irish foreign minister Dermot Ahern said on Thursday that there was « not one shred of evidence” of any extraordinary renditions in Ireland. Speaking to the temporary committee on alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the illegal transport and detention of prisoners on Thursday, Mr Ahern expressed his “annoyance” at the conclusions of rapporteur Claudio Fava (PES, Italy) with regard to Ireland. According to Mr Ahern, the Irish government accepted US assurances that no prisoner had been transferred via Irish territory. Questioning the minister's statements, Irish MEP Proinsias de Rossa (PES) said, “The evidence is that Ireland is part of the rendition circuit. It is part of the logistics chain which facilitates this illegal activity by the USA”. Mr Fava's draft report mentions 147 times that aeroplanes linked to the CIA passed through Ireland (see EUROPE 9317). (bc)