asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he will make representations on behalf of the Irish Government and people to the Soviet Foreign Minister and to the Governments of other states concerned to secure the release of Rudolph Hess, now aged 79 years, who has been in solitary confinement in Spandau Jail, Berlin, since 1945.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Release of Rudolph Hess.
103.
I understand that three of the four powers concerned are agreeable to the release of this man. Repeated representations by at least one of these three powers to the USSR to secure his release have, I regret to say, met with firm refusal, most recently in July this year. In these circumstances, I do not believe that intervention on our part would be successful. If I thought an intervention would be successful, I would take that step.
The Minister said that in matters of intervention he might not be successful. Would he not make an intervention to see whether it was successful?
I do not think so. These things are a matter of judgment. If one makes interventions in matters where there is every reason to believe that one will not be successful that practice could lead to a diminution of that person's credibility. There has to be judgment in these cases. It is difficult to make judgments.
Is the Minister not very friendly with the Russian Foreign Minister and more likely to carry weight with him?
We would be open to question in pursuance of the Government's decision of 1971. Even if that were the outcome of brief encounters I do not believe that in these matters it would affect the decision of that Government to that particular extent.