Almost two years ago following the discovery of new evidence and my raising of the issue in the Chamber, the Government agreed to take the case of the hooded men back to the European Court of Human Rights. That was the right decision. The 14 men involved had been tortured for seven days by the British army and the RUC special branch using brutal, in-depth interrogation techniques. The two organisations had lied about it over and over again. They had also claimed that they had banned the use of the five techniques in question in 1972 and, in 1978, pledged to the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe that they would not use them elsewhere, but that also was a lie, as the techniques were used by the British army in Iraq. The Government's decision to defend the rights of citizens and challenge the use of torture was the right one. The deadline for it to make its submission to the European Court of Human Rights is next Tuesday. Will the Taoiseach confirm that it will meet the deadline? Will the Government provide the men concerned and their legal representatives with a copy of the submission? Will the Government publish it?

The Government did make a decision in this regard. I do not have the actual details for the Deputy, but I will confirm them for him. It was the clear decision of the Government that we lodge an appeal. I had consulted the Attorney General in that regard. The Deputy is right to point out that the issue of human rights and the torture of the people involved - seven died in a situation where the truth was not told - swayed the Government at the time to lodge an appeal. When the Deputy speaks later today, he might refer to the human rights of Mr. Brian Stack and put the evidence before the House.

That will be useful to the hooded men. That remark was beneath the Taoiseach and his office.

Typical.

What is the difference between being hooded and in a van with blacked-out windows?

You are the Taoiseach.

Please, Deputies.