asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made inquiries regarding the death in Long Kesh of an internee who was reported to have died as a result of failure by the authorities there to provide medical attention.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Long Kesh Death.
9.
Yes. But the information available to the Government as a result of informal inquiries made in this case is not sufficient to enable a conclusion to be drawn as to the accuracy or otherwise of the reports referred to by the Deputy. As the Deputy will be aware, the British authorities have announced that an inquest will be held in due course.
The only information I have is that which I got from the Press——
Has the Deputy a question?
——and this revealed that the boy in question suffered from chronic recurring asthma but bouts of asthma can be cured if treated within a certain time. This internee was left without medical attention for about three hours at which stage the medical-aid bus was broken into by his supporters but at that time he died. Would the Minister not agree that in a situation where death follows as a result of negligence, there should be an inquiry?
An inquest is to take place. In the meantime we have made informal inquiries which have not established with certainty what happened. The matter is now one for the coroner at the inquest and we must await the result of the inquest.
Can the Minister say whether it is the intention to have the Government or some of their agencies represented, either formally or informally, at the inquest?
No.
May I point out——
A question, please.
——that since it is not intended to have the Government represented, we may take it that this case, after the inquest, will be dealt with in the same way as that which concerned one of our citizens who was shot at Pettigo? In that case we were told to await the inquest but were informed afterwards that there had been no representative of the Government there and we were left in the position of not knowing what happened.
I do not recognise the situation that the Deputy describes.