asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made any representations to the British Government regarding the condition of internees at Long Kesh following the publication of the fifth report of delegates from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Long Kesh Internees.
13.
The British Government are fully aware of our views on internment in Northern Ireland, including the conditions in which internees are detained. The matter was raised again recently and, while it would not be useful to go into detail, the Deputy may be assured that the report referred to is being taken into account together with information from other sources.
Would the Minister not consider that good example on our own part would be the most telling representation we could make to the British Government? Would he ask his Government to consider the release of our Republican internees or that, pending their release, there should certainly be no more oppressive conditions applied to them than there are at Long Kesh? I refer to the matter of visits by their relatives.
That is a separate Question.
It is very relevant.
We do not have any people who could by any stretch of the imagination be described as Republican internees and, therefore, the Deputy's question, as phrased, is irrelevant and inappropriate. If he is referring to people imprisoned who have been convicted by our courts of offences under our law, any question about their treatment is not a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs.