Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Nov 1928

Vol. 27 No. 8

PUBLIC BUSINESS. - PUBLIC SAFETY BILL, 1928—THIRD STAGE.

The Dáil went into Committee.
SECTION 1.
Sub-section (2) of Section 1 of the Public Safety Act, 1927 (No. 31 of 1927), is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof it is hereby enacted that the said Public Safety Act, 1927, shall continue in force until the 31st day of December, 1928, and shall then expire.

I move:—

In line 18, to delete all words after the figures "1927" to the end of the section, and substitute therefor the words "shall expire on the passing of this Act."

The purpose of the amendment ought to be clear to everybody. We see no reason why the House should be asked to continue this Act for any period whatever—the proper thing to do is to terminate it at once. Our opinion has always been that this Act should never have been passed—that it is a disgrace to have it on any Statute Book. We certainly do not want to have anything whatever to do with continuing it for one single hour. We believe that the Bill now before us can be called a Public Safety Bill in so far as it terminates that public danger, and that we would be a party to that danger by continuing the Act for any period whatever. The purpose of the amendment is to provide that the Act shall expire on the passing of this Bill.

I am not going to oppose the amendment, because it does not concern me very much. Possibly I might use this occasion to call attention to the safety of members of the public other than those to whom perhaps this Act would apply. What I wish to call attention to is the number of armed raids which have taken place lately. I merely wish to call the attention of the Minister to the fact that a certain number of irresponsible people seem to be able to get hold of revolvers and hold up and threaten to shoot people, and sometimes actually shoot them. I, unfortunately, was indirectly involved in a raid which took place some time ago, when three persons, with masks on their faces and carrying revolvers, raided certain premises. I do not believe that any of these three persons went on that expedition with murder in their hearts, but they certainly shot at a lady whom I know well and they might have killed her. I do not know that the Minister can do very much, except to urge those who have authority in such matters to try and stop irresponsible people from getting hold of revolvers. Probably this class of crime arises from unemployment—very possibly it does. I am afraid that if unemployment continues——

I am afraid that we cannot discuss unemployment on this amendment.

Mr. MURPHY

I only want to ask the Minister to try and devise some means of protecting the general public from such raids.

By keeping the raiders in barracks.

Dealing with Deputy Murphy's point first, I assure him that every effort is being made to prevent persons carrying arms other than those authorised by the State. I entirely agree that the possession of arms by persons unauthorised to have them, and who use them for carrying out criminal activities, is a thing that must be put down as far as it lies in our power to do so. The question hardly arises, however, on this particular Bill. Deputy de Valera's amendment is a rather curious one in a way. He asks that the Act should terminate on the passing of this particular Bill by the House. There is no substance in his amendment. On what date is this Bill likely to become law? It will become law at the earliest, even if it was rushed through the House about 12th December. The question that the Deputy brings forward, therefore, is that the Act shall expire on 12th December instead of on 31st December—a mere matter of something like three weeks. It appears to me there is absolutely no substance in that amendment, or so little substance in it that I am going to accept it. If there was any substance in it I would regard it from a different point of view. The House passed a resolution some time ago that the Act should expire on 31st December, and in order to carry out that resolution passed by the House this Bill was introduced. I regard this amendment, as I say, as so entirely trivial or trifling that I cannot see any reason why it should not be accepted.

I am quite satisfied with that. I do not mind what the Minister thinks.

He is giving away a lot to-night.

Amendment agreed to.
Section 1, as amended, agreed to.
Section 2 agreed to.
TITLE.
An Act to terminate on the 31st day of December, 1928, the duration of the Public Safety Act, 1928.

I move amendment 2:—

In lines 11-12 to delete the words "on the 31st day of December, 1928."

The amendment is consequential. May I take it that it is accepted also?

Yes, I accept it.

Amendment agreed to.
Title, as amended, agreed to.
Bill ordered to be reported to-morrow.
The Dáil went out of Committee.

I suppose we could not discuss, at this particular stage, the number of prisoners in jail at the present time?

I suggest that the Minister should exercise some control over his army down in my part of the country.

The Deputy will have to restrain himself and keep order.

The Deputy is mistaking me for the Minister for Defence. I move that the House do now adjourn.

Dáil adjourned accordingly at 8.10 p.m. until to-morrow, Friday, at 10.30 a.m.

Top
Share