asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that a band of men, approximating 70, fully armed with new rifles and two Lewis guns, arrived at Ballinacarriga village (West Cork) on Saturday morning, 27th May, took possession of a house belonging to a Mr. Patterson, without the owner's consent, remained in the district until the following Monday morning, engaging in the meanwhile in military exercises with effective arms, thus causing grave disquiet and anxiety to all law-abiding people in the district; whether he has any knowledge of how these new guns were imported into the country; whether he has any knowledge that similar armed bands are actively engaged in this class of military training in other parts of the country, and whether as the only object such exercises under arms can have is to menace the lawfully constituted authority set up by the people, or to menace the people themselves, he will state what steps he proposes to take to put an end to such display of force.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Exercises in West Cork.
A police report has been received in this matter. Further police inquiries are being made. I have no knowledge of any similar occurence in any other part of the country. On the general aspect of the question I would refer the Deputy to the statement made by me on the Vote for the Department of Justice.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, it is very unsatisfactory seeing that this is a matter of common knowledge in the locality, and seeing that there were military lorries sent out there on this occasion. Were the military merely sent to have tea with the I.R.A? Seeing that Communism is now being preached as the national policy of this country, and that the I.R.A. have Communistic principles, does the Minister not think it is time that the Government should assert itself as the competent authority for the use of firearms in this country?
Arising out of Deputy O'Neill's question——
And arising out of the Minister's reply?
——it would be well for the House to know his authority, if any, and if such delusive statements are as correct as his delusions——
Next question.