Vol. 293 No. 5
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of the fact that the Garda seem to be handicapped by lack of technical equipment when investigating serious cases which involve the dragging of lakes, seas or rivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
14.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that equipment used by Garda sub-aqua divers in a recent underwater search in County Galway was outdated and inferior to that used by civilian divers; and if he will ensure that in future the Garda sub-aqua unit will be fully equipped with modern equipment to enable it to deal effectively with any emergency that may arise.
15.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that the working conditions for members of the Garda Síochána during a recent search (details supplied) in County Galway were most unsatisfactory.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 14 and 15 together.
The commissioner informs me that the activities of the Garda Sub-Aqua Unit have not been handicapped by lack of technical equipment and that the equipment used by the unit is adequate for the type of searches normally performed by the members. In accordance with normal practice, the equipment is renewed from time to time according as new types of equipment come on the market. Lest it be thought from certain newspaper reports that the sub-aqua unit has been denied equipment or back-up services for its work, I think I should mention that, while naturally I could not give an undertaking that each and every proposal for the purchase of equipment for the unit that might be made would automatically be sanctioned, the fact is that no request received in my Department for approval for expenditure for the purposes of the unit has ever been refused.
In a recent underwater search in County Galway, the Army, Navy and civilian sub-aqua clubs from Galway assisted the Garda and used certain items of equipment which would not normally form part of the kit of members of the Garda Sub-Aqua Unit and which the Garda authorities do not regard as necessary for the unit's normal activities.
As regards the working conditions during the search of Lough Inagh it will be appreciated that, while there are general guidelines in respect of special operations as to catering and the like, the arrangements in any particular case must be made by the officer in charge, who has to take into account such factors as the probable duration of the operation. I understand that no complaints were made by any of the gardaí involved in the search about their working conditions. I should point out that the members of the sub-aqua unit are volunteers, and that of its nature, the work is hazardous, and has often to be carried out in unpleasant conditions. I should like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the unit and all others concerned most sincerely for the valuable work they have performed.
Arising from the Minister's reply is the Minister aware that the only facilities available there were a caravan which arrived only two days before the discovery of the body in Lough Inagh? Is he further aware that before that a van was used for the purpose of changing clothes and cooking soup or whatever else was used and that this van had been up for tender once if not twice in the Garda depot, that a buyer cannot be found because it is in such bad condition and that the floor in the van was a table top?
I am not aware that the picture was as painted by the Deputy. As I have indicated, no complaints had been received regarding the conditions that appertained during the course of this search. Searches of this type very often have to be made in isolated areas and it is not possible to have the last word in back-up facilities immediately on the site. In addition to the Ford transit van, which is not in as bad condition, I understand, as the Deputy alleges, the gardaí also had the use of a boathouse at the edge of the lake. As the Deputy says, subsequently a mobile home was placed in position when it was seen that the search was going to continue. It was not hired before they came onto the scene because it was not anticipated that the search would take so long. There was no need for any member of the Garda to change clothes in the open because the van and the boathouse was there and these were supplemented subsequently by the mobile home or caravan.
Further arising from the Minister's reply, is he aware that the divers had no drying facilities whatsoever at the lake shore; that one basic part of the equipment of any sub-aqua diver is a torch and none of the sub-aqua unit had a torch and that the torches they used were borrowed from the sub-aqua club in the area?
As I say, I am not aware that there was any lack of drying facilities, or at least it was not reported to me that there were, nor am I aware that there was any difficulty over torches. There was a suggestion that a mine-detector was used, but that was a specialised piece of equipment got from the Army. With regard to the lamps used by the gardaí, they were the normal waterproof hand type. The superintendent in charge of the unit is not aware of any more powerful piece of equipment than those the unit already have, so the Deputy's information that they had to borrow torches does not conform with my information. Torches are a standard part of their equipment because it is impossible to search inland waterways without torches because of the darkness prevailing at any depth below the surface.
With respect to the Minister, I feel he has been ill-informed of conditions in the area. I have my facts correct as I visited the area several times during the course of the search.
Sorry Deputy, we must proceed by way of question.
Is he also aware that an officer of the Garda Siochána, an assistant commissioner, was on inspection in Galway division during the course of the search and did not find it worth his while to visit the Lough Inagh area?
I am not so aware, and I would not presume to tell a high-ranking Garda officer how to carry out his duties or what to inspect and what not to inspect. It was certainly a creditable thing on the part of the Deputy to take an interest in the proceedings, but I respectfully suggest to her that to say that the gardaí did not have torches is wrong.
May I ask the Minister if he can indicate what special equipment the gardaí had apart from diving equipment? Further, why was it that equipment which had been successful in the wide and deep waters of Lough Corrib was not accepted when offered to the gardaí? I can bear that out because I was there.
If the Deputy would specify the type of equipment concerned I might be able to deal with his question. The only special type of equipment that had been mentioned to me is something called a diver's propulsion vehicle. I do not know if that is the piece of equipment in question. It is in the possession of Galway University and it is used by them in their marine biological studies. It is not suitable for inland waters because it churns up silt from the bottom. It is ideal for the sea where visibility is clear but in inland waters, where there is a lot of silt at the bottom, the propulsion mechanism churns up silt and this renders the vehicle inoperative.
Will the Minister indicate why this equipment was not accepted, because it was very successful in Lough Corrib where the water is deep and wide?
I want to bring in Deputy Moore.
If the Deputy would tell me the type of equipment, I will make inquiries. I am not aware that any equipment that was suitable was refused.
I am sure we will all join the Minister in his tribute to the Garda Sub-Aqua Club and those who helped in the search for the body but I understand that locally there was equipment which should have been used, and I think the picture in the public mind is that the equipment used was inadequate. I would ask the Minister to examine the whole question regarding the provision of proper equipment for future use.
It is wrong to say that the Garda were not adequately equipped. They were adequately equipped. As I said in my reply, any equipment that is reasonably required is sanctioned and there has been no case yet of this unit seeking equipment for which sanction was refused. The only piece of equipment mentioned to me that the Garda do not have and which they had to borrow was the diver's propulsion vehicle but that is not suitable for inland searches. There was a suggestion that the Garda did not have sufficient rope. They had the normal amount of rope which has proved adequate for normal searches up to now but because of the vast area of water that had to be searched an extra large amount of rope had to be obtained and that was borrowed. The lake in question is three miles long and 75 feet deep and it had to be divided into lanes so that there could be a methodical hand search of the bottom. Naturally that took an immense amount of rope which a normal operation would not require. I am satisfied that the sub-aqua unit have the equipment they need and, as I have indicated, no request from them has yet been refused nor would I want to refuse one.
I am not satisfied.
I am calling Question No. 16.
16.
asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí involved in investigation work in the Connemara area of County Galway recently during the search for the body of a young woman.
The number of gardaí engaged on investigation work in connection with the search mentioned varied from time to time and it would be misleading to give a precise figure. Nearly 60 members of the force helped in one way or another with the investigation but some of that number were involved from time to time only.
