asked the Minister for Defence the result of investigations at the latest available date into the disarming of the FCA unit at Drogheda, County Louth.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - FCA Unit Investigation.
36.
I am awaiting the report of the military court of inquiry which was set up to investigate the incident.
Is the Minister aware that around the time of this incident taking place a photographer and a newspaper reporter of one of the Irish newspapers was held up at gunpoint by an Irish Army officer and manhandled and that his identification was not immediately accepted by the Army officer and that this is a recurrence of a similar incident which happened some months ago near the Pigeon House? Would he give instructions to Irish Army personnel not to manhandle or mistreat civilians in the course of their investigations?
All I can say is that the Deputy's version of the incident is grossly exaggerated and I am not prepared to say that the military were not discreet on this occasion.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, I should like to say that——
Has the Deputy a question to put?
Yes. Arising out of the Minister's reply. The attack that has been made on an Irish officer here by Deputy Byrne of Fine Gael is to be deplored. He uses this House to attack an Irish Army officer on a subject he knows nothing about. It is deplorable. It is a scandalous situation altogether.
Arising out of your permission to allow a Deputy from those benches to get up and supposedly ask a question which is not a question at all——
Any Deputy has a right to ask a question.
It is not a question. It is a ridiculous, totally irresponsible statement. All I am asking the Minister for Defence is whether he is aware that this photographer was arrested.
They did not have much respect for officers in days gone by. We know what happened to some of the greatest of them and what happened to the founder of the Army. It is late in the day to be concerned about them now.
Order. Question No. 37.