asked the Minister for Defence when he proposes to give permission to Deputies of the Fine Gael Party to visit Army establishments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Visits to Military Establishments.
91.
I have already indicated to Deputy Clinton that arrangements can be made for visits by him to military establishments. Similar arrangements can be made for other interested Deputies.
Can the Minister tell me why I have been regarded as suspect by the Minister in so far as it has taken me three months to get to the point where the Minister now says that arrangements can be made?
The Deputy is being treated very generously and fairly in this matter.
Does the Minister call it generosity that a member of the Fine Gael Party, the Shadow Minister for Defence in the Fine Gael Party, should only now be allowed to visit Army establishments considering that what is described as the Defence Committee of Fianna Fáil were allowed to do this some considerable time ago?
I gave a very ready answer in the affirmative to the Deputy when he first asked me about this permission.
Does the Minister admit I rang his private secretary four times in two months and failed either to contact the Minister or to get his permission? Is that not so?
That is quite correct.
Has the Deputy got permission now?
The Deputy knows full well the reasons for the delay. I pointed those out to him in a letter. I required some information in regard to the publicity.
Can the Minister say why any Deputy of this House is not in a position to visit Army establishments? What is all the protection for? This is what I want to find out. The Minister says I can make the arrangements through his Department. In other words, there will be a dress up for the day that Deputy Clinton calls. This must be the only answer.
The Deputy did not present himself when the nation needed him.
I was there before Deputy Dowling was and the records prove it. However, can the Minister for Defence tell me why there is all this red tape? When this arrangement is made am I free to bring the Fine Gael Deputy or Deputies for the area with me on the day I visit those establishments, because that is what I should like to do.
I have not considered that aspect but the Deputy must realise that as the Shadow Minister for Defence of the main Opposition party we should like to have him properly received. Therefore, for that reason we should like to have in advance notice of the Deputy's visit so that he would be received in the proper way.
Could the Minister tell the House why on the morning that an article appeared in the Herald saying that I was going to the Curragh there was a direction sent out to every Army establishment in the country that if Deputy Clinton called he was to be received with the customary courtesy generally accorded to a visiting Deputy, that is, he was to get a cup of coffee and, if necessary, a “ball of malt,” but he was to get no co-operation and no questions were to be answered. That was sent out to every Army establishment in the country?
I should like if the Deputy would report back to me after his visit and I am quite sure the type of reception he gets will not match what he has said.
I have always been well received. I cannot understand the secrecy here. What has the Minister to hide?
The Deputy might run away with their guns.
I am not visiting a monastery on this trip. I am visiting ordinary Army establishments.
The Deputy will not get his cup of coffee now.