asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that the Sergeant of the Gárda Síochána stationed at Meelin, Co. Cork, pulled down a poster calling a public meeting, which was hung at Callaghan's forge, Gooseberry Hill, Meelin, on October 5th, 1924, and, if so, if he will state what authority he had for doing so.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - PULLING DOWN OF A POSTER.
The Sergeant referred to saw a written notice announcing that a public meeting of the "Independent Landless League" was to be held at the place mentioned at 3 p.m. on that date. He remained at the forge in order to attend the meeting. There was no gathering of people before 3.30 p.m. and the Sergeant concluded that no meeting would be held. As it was then past the time mentioned in the notice and thinking that the notice was, therefore, of no further use, he took it down and retained possession of it for reference.
Does the Minister think that the same treatment ought to be accorded to the Orders of the Day if we are not assembled here at 3 o'clock?
Arising out of the Minister's answer, I desire to ask him if he thinks it is right that officials of the Gárda Síochána, particularly a Sergeant, who is a man in a responsible position, should be, so to speak, paid for cleansing the walls of a country forge. Does the Minister think that that is the duty for which the Sergeant is paid by the State? I would ask the Minister to reconsider the whole matter and to give a more reasonable answer to the question. This poster, which I hold in my hand, does not seem to have anything very seditious in it.
I would like to ask the Minister if this is an attempt on his part to enforce punctuality at Irish meetings?
I will read the last sentence of the reply which, I think, Deputies did not hear quite clearly: "As it was then past the time mentioned in the notice and thinking that the notice was, therefore, of no further use, he took it down and retained possession of it for reference."
He was not cleansing the walls then?
As a Deputy for the same constituency as that represented by Deputy Nagle, I desire to ask Deputy Nagle if he knows this individual who stated to the public that he is employed by the Land Commission.
No notice has been given of that question.