asked the Minister for Justice if he will state in respect of each of the years 1925 to 1938 inclusive, the number of prosecutions taken in the courts, the number of persons indicted, and the number of convictions obtained under each of the provisions of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Treasonable Offences.
The answer is in the form of a tabular statement which will be published in the Official Debates.
PROSECUTION UNDER TREASONABLE OFFENCES ACT, 1925, DURING YEARS 1925 TO 1938, INCLUSIVE.
|
Year |
No. of Prosections taken in the Courts |
No. of Persons Indicated |
No. of Persons Convicted |
|
1925 |
22 |
39 |
14 |
|
1926 |
15 |
32 |
11 |
|
1927 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
|
1928 |
4 |
15 |
1 |
|
1929 |
4 |
10 |
1 |
|
1931 |
3 |
9 |
3 |
|
1932 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1934 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
|
1935 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
|
1936 |
2 |
22 |
21 |
Will the Minister say whether any person has, in fact, been indicted on a charge of treason proper?
I submit that is a separate question.
In view of the fact that Deputy Hickey's question asks for the number of persons indicted under each of the sections of the Treasonable Offences Act, 1925, and that treason is covered in that Act, I would like if the Minister would say how it is a separate question. Is that information going to be supplied to Deputy Hickey?
I am supplying a tabular statement and perhaps the Deputy will be good enough to wait until he sees it.
The Minister is only asked to indicate the number of persons charged under each of the sections of the Treasonable Offences Act. Will he say now, seeing that the information is to be published in tabular form, how many, if any, persons have been charged with the offence of treason proper?
At the request of a Minister the Chair may decide that, if a reply is a lengthy one, it should be published in the Journal of Debates. If it is so decided, Deputies may not endeavour to elicit particulars in a supplementary question.
I cannot say whether the Chair, having seen the reply, has given consent to its publication in tabular form, but I submit that where a question is directed to the Minister asking him to indicate specifically the number of persons indicted under the various sections of the Treasonable Offences Act, and when a relevant supplementary question is put, asking how many persons have, in fact, been charged under the section of that Act which makes it possible for such persons to be indicted for treason, that supplementary question ought not to be regarded as a separate question.
The Deputy will have an opportunity of putting further questions when the tabular statement appears.
On a point of order. May I submit that one of the most valuable constitutional privileges we have is that of Parliamentary Question and, if it is necessary to elicit the information which a Deputy requires, he is surely entitled to ask the Minister to read out his answer so that occasion may be taken to put a supplementary question or raise the matter on the adjournment, if the Deputy thinks it is of sufficient gravity?
May I submit further, in view of the fact that we are discussing a Treason Bill to-day, that it is a particularly relevant question?
That point does give the supplementary question some basis of reason.
I can only give the total in each year of the prosecutions that have taken place and the number of persons who have been indicted under the Treasonable Offences Act. I have segregated them into particular sections. If the Deputy wants to have the information supplied in another form, I shall try to get it for him, but the question as presented to me was the number of persons indicted and the number of persons prosecuted under the Treasonable Offences Act.
May I suggest to the Minister that the question asked was the number of convictions obtained under each of the provisions of the Treasonable Offences Act?
The number of convictions?
The number of convictions obtained under the section of the Treason Act under which a person can be indicted and charged with treason proper.
I can only give the Deputy the total in respect of convictions obtained under the Treasonable Offences Act.
The question is to ascertain the number of convictions under each of the provisions of the Act.
The Deputy should have learned——
The Deputy can learn nothing from such an ill-mannered person as the Minister for Finance. I will not take any dictation from him as to the form in which I shall put a question.
Order!
I wish the Minister for Finance would be suppressed in these unmannerly interruptions which have become a commonplace in this House.