By Mairead Carey

The CIA is using Baldonnel Airport in West Dublin as a stopover for planes carrying terror suspects, it was claimed on Tuesday.

Independent Senator David Norris told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs that the CIA was using the airport for rendition flights and the Department of Defence, which runs the airport, was then forwarding the fuel bills to CIA shadow companies in central Africa.

At a heated meeting of the committee he also accused President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of lying about the affair. Bush and Rice “are confirmed, consistent and deliberate liars,” he said. “They have lied and we know this perfectly well.”

“There is now speculation that the CIA is using Baldonnel for these rendition flights and that the Department of Defence is sending bills for the fuel to CIA shadow companies at post office box numbers in Central Africa.

“This is the extent to which our involvement is mired further in this appalling filth,” Norris said.

Former Fianna Fail Minister and Seanad leader Mary O’Rourke also questioned the use of Irish airports by the U.S. military.

“There have been incidents of which we would not be proud as a country,” she told the committee. “The democratic process benefits from people questioning things. We’re not all cloned dolly sheep bobbing our heads up and down.”

But her party colleague Senator Pascal Mooney said the removal of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a good thing and he pointed to the 80% voter turnout for the recent democratic elections in the country.