asked the Minister for External Affairs whether he is now prepared to make representations to the British Government to secure the release of Irish prisoners who are undergoing sentences in British prisons in connection with political offences; and whether he will urge the British Government to grant an amnesty to these prisoners before Christmas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Political Prisoners in Britain.
asked the Minister for External Affairs whether he is prepared to indicate to the British Government that he will welcome any gesture of clemency which might be made in relation to the 28 Irish prisoners serving terms of imprisonment in Britain since 1938.
I propose to take Questions 5 and 6 together.
My information is that sentences of this kind are reviewed from time to time and that a number of the cases referred to are actually at present under consideration.
As I have already made it quite clear, any suggestion that this Government would be unfavourable to the exercise of clemency in these cases is without any foundation. The British Government are aware of this. It must be obvious, however, for the reasons I have already stated in the Dáil, that formal representations could not be made by us without complete stultification.
Is the Taoiseach not aware of the fact that the British Government have released their own citizens and the citizens of other countries who openly encouraged Britain's enemies during the war and, bearing that fact in mind, and having regard to the further fact that these prisoners have now served sentences of seven and eight years, will he not, on the approach of Christmas, on humanitarian grounds, formally ask the British Government to release these prisoners and let them come home to their native land?
I have indicated to the Deputy that I cannot formally, without complete stultification, make such representations. I have already informed him that the British Government is aware of the views that we have in this matter and I can do nothing further.
Are we to do nothing further while 20 Irish prisoners continue to lie helpless in British jails? Will the Irish Government not make representations for their release on humanitarian grounds after they have been imprisoned for seven or eight years? No other Government in the world would act like this.
Any other Government in the world would find itself in the same position. We made very earnest representations on behalf of our prisoners and then the same organisation attacked our own State. We had to deal drastically with it in order to save our own State and we were precluded by that fact from making the representations which Deputy Norton wants.