I have a different subject now to bring before the House but it is one which affects the vital liberties of the people of this State. Deputy Aiken—if he is a Deputy now; he may be an ex-Deputy for a week— and I asked the Ceann Comhairle to allow this question to be raised on private notice as it is a matter of vital importance and urgency and a matter affecting the liberties of the individual. It is the case of a gentleman well known both in Ireland and England and, in fact, on the Continent as a writer—Mr. Peadar O'Donnell—against whose life and health an unjust and a mean attempt is being made at the present moment. I asked the Minister the following question:—
To ask the Minister for Justice if he will state why Peadar O'Domhnall, of 39 Marlboro' Road, Dublin, was arrested to-day and released without any charge being preferred against him; if he will state the number of times during the last month Peadar O'Domhnall has been arrested and released in the same manner and what was the duration of his detention on each occasion, and also if he will state by whom instructions were issued for these arrests and the nature of the instructions.
The Minister had not time to make inquiries, but I do not think that in a matter of this sort he requires much time, seeing that the headquarters of the police are within a stone's throw of his own headquarters. The answer I got was:
As Mr. O'Donnell is believed to be in close association with certain criminal organisations he has frequently been arrested by the Gárda on suspicion of being in possession of documents relating to such organisations. Owing to the short notice I have received on this question I have not been able to obtain a complete report in this matter, but I have learned that O'Donnell was arrested on yesterday and detained for some time. I have no information as to the number of occasions on which he has been so arrested and detained. I do not propose to disclose the instructions which have been issued to the Gárda in any case of this nature.
The Minister did not propose to tell me the number of times on which Mr. O'Donnell was arrested, so that there is nothing left for me but to tell the Minister and the House. We admit that under the ordinary law a man against whom there is a criminal or any other charge is liable to be arrested and rightly so, but this is a case in which a man has been arrested fourteen times since the 24th April, and on almost every occasion he was searched. I will read a list of the occasions on which he was arrested. On Tuesday, 24th April, he was arrested at 7.45 p.m. and brought to Donnybrook police station and released at 11 p.m., after being searched. Apparently nothing incriminating was found on him. On Wednesday, 8th May, he was arrested at 7 p.m. and brought to Pearse Street and released at 11 p.m. On Wednesday, 6th June, he was arrested at 12 o'clock and brought to Pearse Street and released at 4 o'clock. On Thursday, 7th June, he was searched at Mullingar, not arrested apparently. On Friday, 8th June, he was arrested at Dungloe, Tirconnail, at 7 p.m. and released at 1 a.m. Upon all these occasions he was searched. On Saturday, 9th June, he was arrested at 10.30 a.m., and released at 3.30 p.m. after being searched. On the same day they called at 9 p.m. looking for him but he was not at home. On Sunday, 10th, he was held up and searched, but not detained. On Monday, 11th, he was arrested at Burtonport when arranging a boat for a picnic at 11.30 a.m., and released at 3.30 p.m. On Tuesday 12th, he was raided for but was not at home. The police patrol remained outside the house and were relieved openly. On Thursday, 14th June, on way to Dublin held up at Sligo. He refused to go to barracks unless carried and was allowed off, but was searched. On Sunday, 17th June, at Ennis, Co. Clare, he dodged the C.I.D. men. He was in company with Deputy Hogan.