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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 23 Oct 1947

Vol. 108 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Prisoners in Parkhurst Prison.

asked the Minister for External Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports alleging that the Government have expressed, to the British Government, their unwillingness to have the Irish prisoners in Parkhurst Prison returned to Ireland, in the event of an amnesty being granted; and if he will state if such reports are incorrect.

My attention has been drawn to some reports of this kind. They are all fabrications without any foundation in fact.

Will the Taoiseach say whether any representations have been made to the British Government to grant an amnesty to those political prisoners who are now undergoing sentences of imprisonment in Britain?

That is a separate question.

I indicated in the reply which I gave some time ago that, without complete stultification, I could not do that. In the early stages of the war I made representations, earnest representations, with regard to some prisoners of this kind. Immediately afterwards there was a campaign of attack by the organisation of which these prisoners were members upon us here, upon our State and upon members of the Garda. Members of the Garda were murdered. We had to take drastic action to put a stop to the campaign and, in view of that, it is obvious I cannot make any representations now.

Bearing in mind the fact that many of those prisoners have now served for more than seven years, and that the British, in fact, have granted generous amnesties to folk who were engaged in sabotage against Britain during the war, although British citizens, will the Taoiseach not now, in the interest of concord at home and from a humanitarian point of view in relation to these prisoners, use the good offices of the Government in an endeavour to have an amnesty granted to those prisoners in the same way as the British Government have granted amnesties to other prisoners?

I have given the House a full answer to all aspects of the Deputy's question.

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