I gave notice that I would raise the question of the alleged refusal of the Government to hand over the body of the hunger striker who died yesterday morning to his relatives for burial. In any remarks I am going to make here I do not wish to aggravate the situation. I think that the decision of the Government, if the reports in the newspapers are true, is an extraordinary one, and I think it would be found that, so far as the opinion of the people of the country is concerned, the decision is not a wise one. The decision arranging that this man's body should be retained by the prison authorities to be buried within the precincts of the prison amounts almost to this, that this man, who has been an untried prisoner, and who has been in prison for twelve months, is to be treated as if he was an ordinary murderer. I do not think that that is wise, and I believe that every Deputy here and everybody in the country will agree that the decision of the Government to permit the meetings of the Republican Party to be held, to permit the Republican publications to appear, and not to interfere with the Republican propaganda, is a wise one. I believe if the Government are prepared to reconsider this question, and if we have a statement to-night to the effect that they are willing to hand over the remains, it will have a very reassuring effect throughout the country. I do not intend to elaborate this matter any further, but I think that we who have the reputation of being very generous to our dead and of giving them decent funerals will be establishing a bad precedent if we deny our opponents the right to a Christian burial. In the County Cork the mother of the hunger striker is living. She is an old woman on the verge of the grave, and it would be very sad if this man's body were not allowed to go back to be buried amongst his own people.
QUESTION ON ADJOURNMENT. - BURIAL OF HUNGER STRIKER.
I would like to support the views expressed by Deputy Murphy. I think it is an unwise policy that, it is stated, has been decided upon. I hope it has not been decided upon by the Government. I think it would reflect badly upon their good-sense and general policy. On the lowest grounds, I think there would be very much more advantage taken to the detriment of the Government's good name by the refusal to let the body of an untried prisoner be taken home than could be taken even by the most elaborate demonstration, the fear of which is, presumably, the reason why the Government is said to have come to the decision not to allow the body of this prisoner to be sent home.
I think the case made by Deputy Murphy that he is an untried prisoner and that we have no right to consider him in the light of a criminal is sufficient to justify the demand that he makes that the body of his constituent should be returned to his home for burial. I do not think that there is any need for me to elaborate further. I simply add my earnest plea to his that the Government would reconsider the decision they have come to and hand over the body of Denis Barry to his relatives.
Much as the Government regret having to take such a decision as this, the fact is that having all the circumstances in mind and having carefully considered the matter the Government have decided that in the case of any of the prisoners dying on hunger strike they will not hand over the body to the friends at this particular stage for burial. It is not a question of refusing a man Christian burial or burying him as an ordinary criminal. The remains will get proper and reverential burial but inside premises that are official premises. If later, when the circumstances are such that advantage cannot be taken of a funeral demonstration to prejudice the safety of the State or to jeopardise further the lives of men who are still hunger-striking in prison, the friends of Barry or of any other person who may die in this wretched hunger-strike desire it, facilities will be granted to have the body of any such person transferred from the burial ground at present provided by the Government to any burial ground his friends or family may wish. The Government have to emphasise again the fact, that just now as at any other time during the last twelve months or more when the safety of the State is prejudiced and endangered, it is their duty to safeguard the State. Every type of pressure that can be brought on men to throw their lives away in a useless protest, in a protest about nothing that can be achieved, is being brought to bear on men many of whom are generous men, generous as regards honour and general intentions but nevertheless a danger to the State, and the most unscrupulous pressure is being brought on them to sacrifice their lives in this particular way, and day by day, and week by week this, that, and the other inducement is held out by people outside who are unscrupulous in the matter, that if the men inside hold out another day or week this, that and the other thing will be achieved. The men inside were simply filled with dismay for having to adopt the situation that they had been forced into and they feel that instead of being ordered to continue the strike, the hunger-strike should be called off by those outside. Instead of that, this type of pressure is being brought to bear on them. In the circumstances the Government have decided not to put into the hands of those people who are working up this pressure the additional opportunities of funeral demonstrations that would have the result of sacrificing additional lives inside, and perhaps additional lives outside.
The Dáil adjourned at 8.30 until Thursday, 22nd November, at 3 p.m.