asked the Minister for Justice the reasons for the presence of a large force of gardaí to enforce the removal of some 150 itinerants from the city to the county area by officials of the Cork Corporation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Removal of Cork Itinerants.
28.
The Deputy appears to be misinformed. The number of gardaí present never exceeded five and they had nothing to do with enforcing the departure of the itinerants. They attended—as they usually do in such circumstances—solely to deal with any breach of the peace that might occur.
Is the Minister aware that those gardaí attended to supervise the illegal action by Cork Corporation, that is, the removal of 150 itinerants from Cork city area into the county?
I am not prepared to accept the inference in the Deputy's supplementary that the local authority concerned was guilty of an illegal action, but as far as the Minister for Justice is concerned the position is that the gardaí were present on this occasion, as they usually are on all such occasions, simply to prevent any breach of the peace occurring.
I thought the duties of the gardaí were to prevent illegal actions?
If such take place and the gardaí are aware of them they would undoubtedly attempt to prevent them.
A garda on duty was notified that an illegal action was taking place.