asked the Minister for Justice what standard regulations, if any, are laid down in connection with the checking of Garda patrol cars for defects.
Questions—Ceisteanna. Oral Answers. - Garda Patrol Cars.
38.
The arrangements for the maintenance and repair of official Garda cars are governed by standing instructions which set out the duties of the various members involved in their use and maintenance. The instructions, being for the internal use of the Force, are confidential.
Is the Minister now satisfied that the two vehicles involved in the robbery chase at Ballyshannon, County Donegal, some three weeks ago did in fact break down?
The information I gave the House on the previous occasion at column 2002 of Volume 253 of the Official Report was that only one of the vehicles broke down. As a result of what the Deputy said on that occasion we checked the matter with the Garda. They confirmed that what I said at column 2002 is correct and that one vehicle only broke down. They also confirm that the celebrated 1964 Ford Consul was not in fact abandoned at the Border but was driven over it.
If the other car did not break down, what happened to it?
It followed the other car as far as the Border.
It did not.
We cannot go over it at present.
I beg to differ with the Minister.
The question deals with the checking of Garda patrol cars. There is no specific case mentioned. We cannot discuss every case in the country on this particular question.
I am not proposing to discuss every case.
The Deputy is doing so.
What motivated me to put down Question No. 38 was the fact that the Minister declined to admit to me that two Garda patrol cars which gave chase to a second-hand, badly worn out Ford Consul——
(Interruptions.)
At least have some manners.
I could think of better masters than Deputy Harte.
I am not inclined to teach the Minister manners because it would be more than difficult. Before I was interrupted I was asking the Minister if he does not now admit that the patrol car which gave chase from Ballyshannon broke down at Barnes Gap and that the Letterkenny car which took up the chase at Stranorlar broke down at Killygordon three miles away and that the battered out Ford car which the bandits used was abandoned at Clady Bridge and they walked freely across the bridge into County Tyrone? Is it not also a fact that the patrol cars which are now used by the Garda force are a disgrace and no Minister for State would use one because he would think it below the dignity of his office to be driven in a patrol car?
This is the fourth occasion on which I have got up to say that in this instance, of the two patrol cars in question, one broke down and the other did not. I have repeated it almost ad nauseam and I have checked and rechecked the position with the Garda. I wonder what the point of saying it any further is.
Did it run out of petrol if it did not break down?
Would the Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary not exchange their cars for the patrol cars and give the good cars to the Garda so that they might be able to apprehend some of the law breakers at the present time?
That is a separate question. I am calling Question No. 39.
What happened to the other car if it did not break down?
Would Deputy Harte please cease interrupting?
I am not interrupting.
One would imagine he was speaking at a street corner.
Some street corners are better conducted than the business here.