Vol. 298 No. 7
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the recently reported treatment by the British authorities of the national organiser of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann; and the number of such incidents that have been reported to him in the past 12 months.
15.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made a protest to the British Government regarding the detention recently of the national organiser of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann by police in Birmingham; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together. The person to whom the Deputies refer was detained by the British authorities at Birmingham airport on Saturday, 2nd April. As soon as my officials were informed of the case, they raised the matter with the British authorities and maintained contact with them until the person in question was released.
In regard to the second part of Question No. 14, 1,060 persons were detained in Britain under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the year ended 4th April, 1977.
Of those detained how many were found to be innocent and subsequently released?
I have not information on that; that is a separate question. I can tell the Deputy that in that year we raised issues with the British authorities in respect of nine cases. We did so at the request of the people concerned or their representatives. Since 1974 we have raised 110 specific cases with the British authorities.
In relation to the reported complaints by the national organiser of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, has the Minister investigated those complaints of harassment?
That matter was taken up immediately on behalf of that person and, indeed, in the course of an interview given to the Irish Post on his way home he expressed his sincere thanks to the embassy for the promptness and effectiveness of the action taken. We have not had a request to take any further action in the matter.
Was there an apology?
The Minister has told us that 1,060 persons were detained under the British emergency powers and I should like to know if he is aware that innocent people travelling between Ireland and Britain have been subjected to ill-treatment and bad manners by certain officials at points of entry into Britain and points of exit from Britain? I can give the Minister the history of two such cases. What type of information have people going from here to Britain in relation to the emergency powers and the type of action British authorities may or may not take against them?
If the Deputy has specific cases he wishes to have raised I would be glad to receive details of them from him. As I pointed out, there have been a number of complaints which we have had to take up with the British authorities but it is fair to say that the fact that there were nine cases last year out of 110 in a period of three years suggests a diminution in the problem referred to by the Deputy. However, it still exists. Any case the Deputy brings to my attention will be investigated.
The Minister mentioned the figure of 1,060 and I would like him to be more forthcoming in relation to the history of those cases in a general way. There are many who do not wish to be associated with those who go abroad to create depredation and loss of life and some of those innocent people have been subjected to this type of treatment. Can the Minister give the House more information about the 1,060 cases?
I cannot give the Deputy any factual or statistical information without further inquiry but I have the impression that in the vast majority of cases the people concerned were released. The number of cases pursued and in which charges were preferred was a small proportion of the total. That ratio is, obviously, something which is disturbing and unsatisfactory but we have to accept that the British authorities have a serious problem. The measures they have taken have been successful in minimising the number of cases of violent attack in Britain. Nonetheless, it is disturbing that the number of cases of detention followed by release is as high as it is although I cannot give precise figures.
Has the Minister been in touch with the British authorities in relation to the number of cases? Is there a constant line of communication between his Department and the British authorities in relation to this type of situation?
The British authorities are aware of my concern in relation to the general problem and also in relation to the cases we have had to raise with them.
It is a form of violence against the person.
