Ireland is presumably on the list of 15 countries identified by the United States as having assisted in its war on Iraq, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, told the Dail today.
Mr Ahern told the Dail that he had heard an American official say that people who allowed US military aircraft overflights were included on their list. "So I presume we would be."
Pressed again by the Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte who asked whether Ireland was on the US list he said: "I presume then that we would be."
The list referred to by Mr Rabbitte is of 15 States which the US says is secretly supporting the war on Iraq.
The US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell has said these states "do not yet wish to be publicly named".
The list is described by the US Armed Forces Press service as ones that have privately assured the US they are supportive "but for internal political reasons cannot be open about their support."
The US has made it clear that it sees the provision of overflight and landing facilities for military aircraft en route to the war as support, while the Government here does not.