asked the Minister for External Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to recent reports concerning the unfortunate plight of a man who had been placed in custody during the period the ship on which he was sailing was in port, because of the fact that he could not prove citizenship of any country; whether the technical position is as stated, and, if so, whether he will instruct the Irish representative at U.N.O. to raise this matter in the appropriate way in an endeavour to have some arrangement made that will prevent the infliction of such hardship on a Stateless person.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hardship of Stateless Person.
I have seen newspaper reports in this matter but I have no further information about it and accordingly I am not in a position to say what the technical position is. The question of statelessness generally has been under active deliberation by U.N.O. and I do not therefore think it necessary or appropriate to instruct our Permanent Representative at U.N.O. to raise the specific case referred to in the Deputy's question.
Does not the Minister think that our representative, acting in the best traditions of a Catholic country, should make it his business if nobody else does it?
This matter has been discussed generally, but the only information we have on this particular case is from newspaper reports and in the absence of further information it would hardly be appropriate, with that information only available, to take specific action on it.