asked the Minister for Defence the number of occasions since the passing of the Emergency Powers Act, 1976, that the Army has been requested by the Garda to assist them with the power of search and arrest.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Search and Arrest Assistance.
18.
No request has been received to date.
Can the Minister say on what basis armed members of the PDF are authorised to patrol the corridors of Green Street Courthouse?
That seems to be a separate question.
I am trying to find out the basis on which armed members of the PDF are authorised to patrol the corridors of Green Street Courthouse?
That is a separate question.
Are they there under the Emergency Powers Act? If so, under what authority are they patrolling?
Since the passing of the Emergency Powers Act, 1976 no request has been received to date. The Deputy is aware that the request is a matter entirely for the Garda Síochána. The circumstances, very happily, are such that no request was made for them. Let us hope that these pleasant circumstances will continue.
Can the Minister indicate on what basis armed members of the PDF are authorised to patrol the corridors of Green Street Courthouse?
I have ruled that is a separate question. Question No. 19.
If the Minister does not know that, can he indicate if a new Defence Forces regulation has yet been published in relation to the power to operate on the basis of the Emergency Powers Act, 1976?
The Deputy is getting off this question altogether.
Surely I am entitled——
The Deputy must ask a relevant question.
I want to repeat the question.
It must be relevant.
Can the Minister indicate if a new Defence Forces regulation has yet been published in relation to the power of search and arrest under the Emergency Powers Act, 1976?
That, again, is a separate question.
They are all separate questions.
They are worthy of separate answers then.
Is it possible to find out on what basis members of the Permanent Defence Forces are operational at the moment in Green Street Courthouse or in other areas?
The Deputy is being disorderly now.
I am not being disorderly.
This is the third time the Deputy has put that question. It is a separate question.
It is not.
That is a matter for the Chair.
Everything is a matter for the Chair. Can the Minister indicate if there will be a Defence Forces regulation under the Emergency Powers Act, 1976 drawn up shortly, if it has not already been drawn up?
If the Deputy puts down a question on that matter, I will be prepared to give him an answer.
If there has been no request from the members of the Garda Síochána for military personnel under the Emergency Powers Act, 1976, how soon could they be operational if a new Defence Forces regulation has not yet been drawn up?
As I have indicated to the Deputy, a request for members of the Defence Forces in this regard is a matter entirely for the Garda Síochána.
Does the Minister not agree——
This must be the final question.
——that it is not possible to operate this particular section of the Emergency Powers Act unless a Defence Forces regulation is drawn up? A former Minister said that he would be in a position to indicate at a very early date if and when this regulation was drawn up. Is it drawn up yet? If not, when will it be drawn up so that if the Army were called out under this particular section of the Emergency Powers Act they would be able to operate?
I can assure the Deputy that no request has been received to date from the Garda Síochána.
Can we take it from the Minister's second reply when he said that happily this occasion has not arisen that he now agrees that the emergency is over and should be so declared?