Vol. 258 No. 9
asked the Taoiseach if he will state whether or not his recent statement regarding the possible change in policy regarding internees, to the effect that they may be tried in court, arose directly from his contact and talks with either Mr. Health or with Mr. Wilson, or both.
7.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state whether his recent suggestion to the SDLP to consider changing their present policy in relation to internees arose from discussions he had recently with British politicians or as a result of his own policy on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together.
I have never attempted to suggest policies to the Social Democratic and Labour Party—who are perfectly capable of representing accurately the views of their constituents.
So far as talks are concerned, there is no change in my position—which is that I have had talks with Mr. Heath and other since internment without trial was introduced in Northern Ireland and will continue to have such talks if I consider them to be useful. Nor has there been any change in the view I have expressed, more than once, that internees against whom there is evidence of breaches of the law may be charged and tried, and the others released.
Although I appreciate it is some days since I tabled the question, and perhaps the relevancy is not as great as it was then, is it not a fact that the Taoiseach indicated on his arrival back from Brussels that there was seemingly a change in relation to the position of internees and that there might be a situation in which some internees might be tried in the courts and this might, in fact, break the deadlock in which the SDLP have placed themselves? If this is so surely then it was a suggestion, to some degree, to the SDLP to consider that new situation in the light of their policy?
I never said that that was the case, but I suggested several times that it ought to be. I never said the SDLP and the other minority representatives should enter into discussions against their own wishes, but I did suggest that a formula might be found which would encourage them to enter into discussions.
8.
asked the Taoiseach if, in relation to statements and tape recordings supplied to the Government before internment in the North was introduced and since then, which were made by persons (a) who were detainees and internees and (b) generally involved, he will say (1) when he first received any of these and (2) how many.
A great deal of material of the nature referred to in the question has been collected in recent months. It would not be appropriate to elaborate further on this, or to reveal the sources.
Would the Taoiseach agree that a large volume of this type of information has been received by the Government rather than a small volume?
Quite a large volume, yes.
