Yesterday, Members rightly spent time trying to find the truth behind the murder of the late solicitor, Pat Finucane. In the course of the exchange the Taoiseach mentioned comparisons, in terms of investigations, with Bloody Sunday in 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead in Derry. I then read in The Irish Times that the military is investigating police allegations that soldiers shot dead a family of 11 in their home last week. The inquiry comes a day after a magazine published allegations that troops killed 15 civilians in another town last year. A criminal inquiry into those deaths was launched last week. The only difference is that the soldiers were not British but American and the families are in Iraq and not Derry or Belfast. Time magazine published accounts by townspeople to the effect that troops went on a rampage after a marine was killed by a roadside bomb west of Baghdad in November. The witness rejected an original US account that the 15 also died in the bomb blast. A young child stated: “I watched them shoot my grandfather first in the chest and then in the head, and then they killed my granny”. The Time article states that accusations that US soldiers often kill civilians, including children, and that little disciplinary action has resulted in the few cases investigated, has aroused Iraqi anger since the invasion. In the light of that, will the Taoiseach agree it is stomach churning to read about the Minister for Transport, Deputy Martin Cullen, doing a nixer for the Minister for Defence by heading off with Irish troops to New York to “welcome back US troops from Iraq”?

Disgraceful.

Does the Taoiseach at least admit that it was ill-judged? Without even blushing, the Minister, Deputy Cullen, said it was an honour to represent the Government. What is the Taoiseach's position on such an obvious double standard? Is this not the clearest indication yet that he fully supports US policy in Iraq? Does he agree that the invasion of Iraq has been entirely counterproductive? It has swelled the ranks of al-Qaeda and it has brought Iraq to the brink of civil war. It is time finally to condemn the killing of innocent children in Iraq and to end the facilitation of the movement of US troops through Shannon Airport, given those atrocities.

Hear, hear.

I would kill——

The Taoiseach would kill.

I would condemn the killing of anyone anywhere. If any of these atrocities that are being investigated turn out to have happened, then they are outrageous.

What will he do about them?

There is no doubt about that.

Why is he assisting the killers?

We are not assisting the killers. There are no Irish troops in Iraq.

There are troops in Shannon Airport.

The Minister for Transport was invited by the Fighting 69th homecoming celebration committee to attend and speak at a public wreath-laying ceremony on 16 March at the Father Duffy statue in Times Square, which commemorates the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who served with the brigade. The regiment's battle flag was presented to the Irish nation by President Kennedy when he addressed the Houses of the Oireachtas in 1963. This flag is on permanent display here. The regiment is better known as the "Fighting Irish" and is the US army unit with the closest ties to Irish America. It has led the St. Patrick's Day parade up Fifth Avenue in New York every year for more than 150 years, so the Minister did nothing inappropriate.

We know the Taoiseach does not jump to every invitation and the families of the Stardust victims can testify to that. I am not sure why he felt compelled to send the Minister to that ceremony at the drop of a hat. The Prime Minister of Italy, who is very pro-US, has demanded that the US patrol involved — it was the fighting 69th — in the killing of an Italian during the rescue of an Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, be brought to justice. Will the Taoiseach stand back from his blind indifference to the slaughter in Iraq? It is all very well for him to say he condemns the killing of children, but if this country is neutral and condemns killing, how can the Government continue to facilitate the troops involved in such atrocities on their way through Shannon Airport? How can he stand back and not demand that those guilty of war crimes be punished? Does he believe the decision by President Bush to land in Shannon and rally his troops was an abuse of Irish neutrality and of the Taoiseach's sheepish support for his bloody misadventure in Iraq? Can the Taoiseach take a stand and not just speak from both sides of his mouth on the issue?

When he was in America, what did the Taoiseach say to President Bush on the conflict in Iraq? Did he tell the President that he would have to look at the issue of facilitating the passage of US troops through Shannon? Did he give any timeframe for it?

I remind the Deputy that there is a multinational force in Iraq and not just US forces.

Ninety per cent of the force is American.

I condemn absolutely the slaughter inflicted on the people of Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein, as well as the current atrocities. The international force currently in Iraq was requested by the UN on 8 November 2005 to reconstruct and organise Iraq. The Deputy is asking me to break a UN resolution and I will not do so.

The resolution does not encourage rendition.

The Deputy should check the resolution. He should check the facts.

Allow the Taoiseach, without interruption.

It was appropriate that the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, spend some time with the Fighting Irish as part of his trip. I am surprised that the Deputy feels that it was inappropriate.

What about Shannon Airport? Will he answer the question?

I did answer the question.

The Taoiseach has blood on his hands.