asked the Minister for Justice (a) the number of raids carried out to procure gelignite from 1st January, 1971, to 25th January, 1972; (b) the date of each raid; (c) the amount stolen on each occasion; (d) the number of people arrested and charged and the sentence passed in each case; and (e) if the Government are satisfied with the security regulations in force to prevent gelignite from falling into wrong hands.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Gelignite Raids.
59.
In the period referred to in the question, the number of raids was ten. In my reply to a previous question on this matter on 4th November, 1971, Volume 256, No. 7, column 128, I gave the information sought at (a), (b) and (d) of the question in respect of seven of these raids. That information still stands except that in the case where two men had been arrested and charged, informations were refused in the case of one and the other, who was returned for trial, was found not guilty by a jury. Three further raids occurred—one on 10th January and two on 11th January, 1972—but, to-date, no one has been arrested in connection with them. As I indicated in my earlier reply, details of the amount of explosives stolen are not given as I consider that to do so would reveal information regarding the disposition of stocks.
The Garda authorities believe that the present security arrangements governing the storage and use of explosives are adequate. For obvious reasons, I could not agree to give details of these arrangements.
Some months ago the Minister gave assurances that stocks of gelignite would be concentrated and held under guard and that there would be no further danger. Could the Minister explain, then, how there have been continued raids apparently on guarded stocks of gelignite in various parts of the country? Would he now assure the House that there will be a police escort in respect of gelignite because nothing short of that will satisfy the people, bearing in mind the number of lives that have been lost as a result of the Minister's failure to control stocks of gelignite?
That is the position and has been the position for some time. There was one recent serious raid in which, I regret to say, the instructions which were laid down clearly were not followed by the persons concerned. It was as a result of that that a very considerable amount of gelignite was lost. If the instructions that I had given had been followed, that would not have happened.
Surely any raid on gelignite is serious? Is the Minister saying that these other raids were not serious?
I am not saying that in relation to the other two. The quantities of gelignite in the two other cases were held in circumstances in which they were not then improperly held, but in the latest and more serious one there was a clear breach of the regulations.
The Minister has said that it was not improperly held. Did not somebody walk off with it?
At that time I was endeavouring to try to prevent the total closing down of work in this country in which explosives were used. Since I made the latest regulations there has been the most serious disruption of commercial life in relation to this matter and, unfortunately, I have had to tell the people concerned that they would have to put up with the situation. I did all in my power to try to prevent the total closing down. At the moment the number of places in which gelignite is held is so small that it is causing grave inconvenience. A considerable amount of major work of public importance is either held up unduly or had to be forgotten about completely.
It appears that the precautions that were taken were not adequate despite what the Minister has said.
I am calling Question No. 60.