asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to what categories of persons abroad his Department intends to distribute the copies which it is reported to have bought of a recent newspaper supplement on the Derry killings of 30th January, 1972.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Newspaper Supplement on Derry Killings.
9.
Copies of the supplement in question will be distributed to such persons as wish to have an account of the events in Derry on 30th January, 1972, as presented by the Irish media.
Does that mean that these copies will be issued only to people who ask for them?
It is the intention to give them to the people who ask for copies of the media descriptions of what happened. The Deputy asked if only people asking for this particular issue would get it. People who ask for the media descriptions of the events in Ireland will be given this.
Further arising from the Minister's helpful reply, would the Minister state whether it is correct that 4,000 copies of this supplement have been acquired by his Department? This appears to be a somewhat excessive number of copies to have available for the extremely limited class of person which has just been described.
The Deputy may not be aware that there is quite widespread interest in the embassies and they ask——
——for the Irish media description?
They ask for that type of information. The papers from other countries arrive on the streets of foreign capitals. Our papers do not.
Would the Minister not agree that the type of person who asks this type of question: "How are the Irish media handling this?" is not likely to run into thousands? I have some experience of this myself and I estimate that there would be 50 or 60 people involved. The ordinary man would not think of such questions.
From my own personal experience, having been abroad at such times, people were asking and complaining that the British papers arriving daily on the streets in their capitals carried a particular aspect or version of the events. They asked would it not be possible to get Irish newspaper stories on the streets as soon as those of other countries. The question is not formulated exactly as the Deputy put it, but there is a general asking for Irish newspapers rather than for the Irish Government description of events.
I am less clear than ever. Will the Minister say whether the figure of 4,000 is correct?
Yes, 4,000. A bigger figure was mentioned.