The newspapers of the 24th May report a statement made by the Chief Superintendent of the Gárda Síochána in the District Court at Naas regarding the use of firearms and the orders that the Gárda Síochána had with regard to the use of firearms. The statement made by the Chief Superintendent is so extraordinary, with all the danger that exists to the general peace of the country as well as to the lives of the citizens, that I asked the Minister to make a pronouncement on that statement. The Irish Times reports the statement to this effect:—
"The general attitude of the crowd was so threatening that he was about to give orders to plain clothes men to produce arms, which would be a serious thing, but police orders were if arms were produced to use them, and use them with deadly effect."
The Irish Independent reports:—
"Referring to the hostile nature of the crowd, the witness said: ‘I did not want to use firearms, because I don't like to use firearms against any section of the Irish people, but I was in the position that I must vindicate the law. Our instructions are that if we draw firearms we must use them and shoot to effect.'"
The Irish Press reports on the same day:—
"Referring to the hostile attitude of the crowd, he said: ‘I did not want to use firearms, because I don't like to use firearms against any section of the Irish people, but I was in the position that I must vindicate the law. Our instructions are that if we draw firearms we must use them and shoot to effect.'"
There is, perhaps, no more important officer in the Gárda Síochána than the Chief Superintendent of an area. More and more as the weeks pass by we see disturbances of one kind or another deliberately organised throughout the country, and more and more, therefore, the persons who go to attend meetings, persons who attend sales such as the sales at Naas— even ordinary persons in the streets— are liable to the dangers, whatever they are, that may arise in connection with those meetings. We have here a statement made for the first time, so far as I can recollect, regarding the use of firearms by the Gárda Síochána. That statement is to the effect that if arms are produced they are to be used with deadly effect. We find the first suggestion of this made at a sheriff's sale for cattle—cattle that were seized for the payment of land annuities. When the Minister is asked to clear the atmosphere, and to let everybody know what orders are issued to the police regarding the use of firearms, he does not admit that the interpretation put on those orders by the Chief Superintendent is correct. He was not prepared on the 29th May to state the steps that he was going to take to put the matter right if the matter was wrong. Yesterday, when questioned further, he said that he had simply referred the matter to the Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána to take such steps as he considers necessary.
The general condition of affairs in the country is such that this House requires to know from the Minister for what purpose firearms are carried by the police, and what orders the police have with regard to the use of firearms in the case of disturbances. If the Minister will not give the information asked for in the latter question, will he say why he thinks this House, or the people, should be left in any doubt as to what those instructions are, because the interpretation put by the Chief Superintendent in Naas on his instructions are such that this is not a mere order, like the Mitchelstown one, "Don't hesitate to shoot," nor is it a mere order, "Do not hesitate to kill"; it is an order that if arms are produced by the police they must see that they fire to kill, and that they must be used with deadly effect. We have had different cases of disturbances throughout the country recently. We had a disturbance in Cork last night, where a hostile crowd endeavoured to interfere with the holding of a second meeting by members of the Fine Gael Party. All we learn from the newspapers reports with regard to that is that members of Fine Gael were attacked there, while the Irish Press reports that some Blue-shirts were arrested. On a recent Sunday in Drogheda, incidents took place which are described by the local Press as regrettable manifestations and disgraceful scenes and described the day as being “for the third time the occasion of such disgraceful scenes in Drogheda that they ran counter to our citizens' long and honourable record of tolerance and fair play.” There were 250 members of the Gárda Síochána drafted in, because there was a definitely organised counter-demonstration —a counter-demonstration to what was called an Imperialistic demonstration, the Imperialistic demonstration being a meeting of the organisation of the Opposition Party in the State, exercising its normal political rights. There were 250 police there. People were injured; police were injured; shop windows were smashed and motor cars were smashed, and the Minister for Justice tells us that the police are not in a position to identify any of the people guilty of these offences.