asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if for humane reasons he will now make representations to the British Government or to the United Nations that the British Army will not use CR gas in Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - CR Gas Use.
1.
Our concern that CR gas should not be used in Northern Ireland has been communicated to the British authorities on several occasions and they are well aware of our feelings in this regard.
As far as action at the UN is concerned, governments do not make representations in the sense meant by the Deputy but rather make their views known on specific subjects in debate and by their attitude on resolutions. The use of CR as such has not been discussed at the UN, but in debates in the disarmament context on the use of chemical weapons generally our delegations have consistently supported resolutions leading towards a ban on their use.
The amplifying apparatus was not working for the first sentence of the reply and consequently I did not hear it.
I am sorry. Our concern that CR gas should not be used in Northern Ireland has been communicated to the British authorities on several occasions and they are well aware of our feelings in this regard.
Over a year ago I asked a similar question and at that time the Minister assured us that the British Government had not CR gas in the Six Counties. Since then it has been used. According to the Press it has been used at least once in Long Kesh. Over a year ago when I asked about CR gas I explained from what I I had read of the consequences of its use——
I am anxious to help the Deputy but he is making a statement rather than asking a supplementary question.
——that it is a very severe irritant and irritates mucous membranes such as the eyes or the lungs. It can actually cause blindness. Take a case of chronic bronchitis——
The Deputy is continuing to make a speech.
Yes, but in view of the seriousness of the matter and the fact that the British have acknowledged that they have used it once, would the Minister not ask them not to use such inhuman efforts——
There are a few people that the Deputy could address questions to on his side also.
There is no acrimony in this if you do not introduce it.
Order.
The Deputy's concern on this point is supported by scientific and medical opinion in Great Britain which feels that the Government there have not published sufficiently adequate reports of the effects on humans of this substance to enable it to be properly assessed. That is on the gas itself. I think that there may be some misunderstanding on the part of the Deputy who seems to think the British Government had said they had used it once. The position is that there was a suggestion that it was used at the time of the burning of Long Kesh of which we have no evidence. The British have strongly denied that they used it on that occasion and that denial was reiterated in the House of Commons subsequently. I do not think the Deputy is correct in saying that they have admitted its use.
We have made our position clear. We regard it as a quite inappropriate weapon. The Deputy mentioned that I originally said that I was informed that the British did not have it in Northern Ireland. Speaking from recollection, my recollection is that on the occasion of a subsequent question I made it clear that later information had shown that they had got it there and we had put it to them that it should not be used.