At Question Time to-day, I asked this Question:—
"To ask the Minister for Justice whether he has received a petition, addressed to the Taoiseach, and signed by several members of Dáil Eireann and Seanad Eireann on the subject of the hunger strike of Mr. Seán McCaughey in Portlaoighise Prison: and whether he will make a statement on the hunger strike, and also on the steps taken by him on receipt of the petition."
It was with a deep sense of regret that, because of the unfavourable and unsatisfactory reply given to that question, I was compelled to ask your permission, Sir, to raise this matter on the Adjournment. The reply which the Minister gave was a lengthy one, in which he said that the Governor of Portlaoighise Prison had received from Mr. McCaughey a notice which set out:—
"To all whom it may concern: This is to notify you that unless I am released before Friday 17th instant I will be compelled to go on hunger strike until I am."
I would be the last Deputy to advocate that any group of citizens should rise in arms against the powers that be, the Government. I have never advocated and never propose to advocate that policemen should be either fired at or shot. The only thing I advocate is that citizens, no matter what the charge against them, be given the benefit of a fair trial under the law as established. Seán McCaughey was not sentenced for murder. He was sentenced for a common assault, and I saw in the newspapers the case of a citizen who was brought through the courts and fined 1/- within the last week for an offence similar to that for which McCaughey was sentenced to death. What laws in the world provide that a man shall be sentenced to death for a common assault? What laws are there in the world which provide for the sentencing to death of a citizen for an offence for which any other person would have received a month's or perhaps six months' imprisonment? If I know legal procedure, for common assault, a citizen in this country may be sentenced to a month, to six months' or, at the very most, to nine months' imprisonment.
In McCaughey's case, I do not know why such a harsh sentence was imposed. He cannot be classified as a criminal as he was charged only with common assault, but, instead of receiving a sentence of six months' imprisonment, he was given a sentence of death.