asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state with reference to a reply of 23rd October, 1969, the result of his inquiries into the death of an Irish nun in Biafra.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Death of Irish Nun.
55.
The Nigerian authorities have expressed regret at the incident which they say must have been an accident as the Nigerian airforce is under strict instructions to attack only military targets. They point out, however, that the incident as reported occurred only a couple of miles from the Biafran stronghold of Owerri around which many military targets were under attack by their air forces.
Can the Minister tell us of the reports of the investigations which were carried out into the death, and whether he has determined what the cause of death was? Was she killed——
I have not a detailed report on the cause of death. We expressed our concern to the Nigerian authorities and we have received an expression of regret from them. I understand there has been a general improvement in the matter of air attacks on non-military targets. From reports we have, the nun's death was caused by an air attack on a motor car in which she was travelling.
Does the Minister not consider that he has an obligation, where the death of an Irish citizen occurs abroad in violent circumstances, to ascertain exactly the cause of death and the persons responsible for it? The Minister says he does not know the actual cause of death, but has he not a clear obligation to make this inquiry when an Irish citizen is killed abroad?
I do not accept the Deputy's definition of my duties when the matter concerned involves the shooting by aircraft in a war zone near the war lines.
What the Minister is doing is making an assumption. Deputy Byrne asked him if he had found out the cause of death and if not why not.
Is the Deputy suggesting that there is some obscure cause of death if an aircraft attacks a motor car——
I am not making any suppositions, but the Minister is.
We are all deeply sorry that this nun was killed, but this could happen again and we could lose another Irish missionary. I am wondering if a precedent is being set up here for inquiring into the cause of death This nun could have died from a petrol bomb attack or from a direct bullet in any part of her body, and I am wondering whether we have initiated a scheme of investigation into the death of any Irish missionary or medical worker.
We cannot have a discussion on this.
My information is that the nun died from bullet wounds in the war zone, but I do not think I could accept the obligation of finding out the exact cause of death of all Irish citizens in war zones——
There are not that many, thank God.
It was accidental.
It was not an accidental death. The car in which she was travelling was strafed by an air force plane. The strafing of the car was said by the Nigerian authorities to have been accidental, because their instructions to the air force is not to attack non-military targets. As I have said, I do not believe the death was accidental.