On page 144 of the programme for Government, the European Court of Human Rights yesterday rejected a request by Ireland to find that the so-called hooded men who were arrested by the British authorities suffered torture in a British army camp.

I am sure the Taoiseach shares my disappointment that the court did not revise its judgment and correct the record. Fourteen men were subjected to five techniques, namely, being placed in stress positions, sometimes on heaters; being subjected to white noise; being subjected to sleep deprivation; being subjected to deprivation of food and water; and receiving beatings and death threats. That was torture. At a press conference in Belfast yesterday one of the tortured men, Francis McGuigan, stated the court had missed a great opportunity to stamp out torture all over the world and called on the Government to appeal the decision. Will it do so?

I note the decision yesterday of the European Court of Human Rights which voted by a six to one majority to determine that the men concerned had not been subjected to torture. They were certainly subjected to terrible abuse and degrading punishment, but the European Court of Human Rights has determined that their treatment did not extend to torture. The Government will consider the judgment and, having done so, make a decision on whether to appeal it.