asked the Minister for Defence whether his attention has been drawn to a statement that Civil Servants from Dublin are attending court cases in the Six Counties for the purpose of giving evidence regarding the amount of I.R.A. pensions being paid to I.R.A. veterans residing in the Six Counties, against whom prosecutions are being brought because they did not disclose the nature of these pensions to the Six County authorities when making claims for benefit; whether the statement is correct and, if so, whether he will have this reprehensible practice discontinued forthwith.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Six-County Prosecutions: Evidence of Dublin Civil Servants.
31.
I have seen the letter referred to by the Deputy. Since 1957 there were four cases in which officers of my Department attended at courts in the Six Counties to give evidence regarding the payment of military service pensions and/or special allowances to persons residing in that area who were prosecuted by the National Assistance Board for failure to disclose these sources of income when applying for National Assistance.
I regret the necessity for the attendance of officers of my Department at these courts and the circumstances which gave rise to their attendance. While I do not propose that in future officers will not attend these courts in such cases, I hope that the necessity for the attendance will not arise.
Could the Minister say at whose request these civil servants went to give the evidence?
I suppose at the request of the National Assistance Board in the Six Counties.
Would the Minister say if the request came to the Minister for Defence or to the head of the Department concerned?
These are civil servants from the Department of Defence.
But was the request for their attendance made to the Minister for Defence or to them as individuals?
It would come to the Minister for Defence.
Therefore the Minister gave permission for these civil servants to give evidence and he still thinks it is a bad practice and should be discontinued?
I did not say that. I said I hoped the necessity for it would not arise.
If it does arise, will the Minister give his consent for them to go again?
Yes. We would expect the same co-operation from the North in the same circumstances.
Would they be sent to America if they were required there?
Does the Minister think it fair that any official from the State should go and give evidence in a court in Northern Ireland when it is known that people who were in the I.R.A. will be victimised? There are a number of people in the Six Counties who have never disclosed that they were in the I.R.A. and I would ask the Minister to issue an instruction that these people should not have to give evidence.
As I said, we would hope to get similar co-operation from them in the same circumstances and I think it is only reasonable that we should co-operate.
You will not have the same circumstances because members of the old I.R.A. and their families in the Twenty Six Counties are not victimised, but they are in the Six Counties.
Will the Minister say if that co-operation exists only between this country and the Six Counties and Great Britain?
I am not aware of any case having arisen with any other Government.
It should be stopped.
That is what you call whipping John Bull.