I have received a number of Private Notice Questions concerning the circumstances in which three Irish persons were shot dead by British forces in Gibraltar. I will call the Deputies in the order in which they submitted their questions to my office.
Private Notice Questions. - Shooting of Irish Persons in Gibraltar.
asked the Taoiseach if he will request that the British Government carry out a full inquiry into the circumstances in which three Irish persons were shot dead by British forces in Gibraltar; to state the part, if any, the Garda had in the surveillance operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
andMr. Desmond asked the Taoiseach if, in connection with the killing of three persons from Northern Ireland in Gibraltar last Sunday the Government would make an immediate statement concerning the extent, if any, that the Irish Government had been consulted or informed about developments in this affair before and after its occurrence.
asked the Taoiseach the steps the Government have taken to establish the facts, including the background and reasons for their presence there, surrounding the shooting of three Irish people in Gibraltar on Sunday.
asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the events in Gibraltar on Sunday last in view of the grave public disquiet and the incorrect information initially given on the incidents.
asked the Taoiseach if, in view of the serious public concern arising from the incident, he will make a statement on the Government's reaction to the circumstances of the shooting dead of three Irish people by British security forces in Gibraltar on Sunday; if any representations have been made to the British authorities on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As the Government have said in their statement issued at lunchtime, we condemn all forms of violence and recognise the necessity for security forces to take all reasonable measures to combat terrorism.
However, we are gravely perturbed at the shooting dead of three unarmed Irish people in circumstances where it appears from reports that they could have been arrested by the security forces involved.
The Government are seeking full details from the British authorities on all aspects of the shootings and I will consider making a fuller statement to the House when this information is received.
I am in a position to confirm that there was no Garda involvement in the affair.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if, in view of the apparent shoot-to-kill policy used by the British forces against the three IRA suspects in Gibraltar, he will now consider a review of procedures on, indeed, the suspension of co-operation between the Garda and the British authorities in surveillance operations involving IRA suspects in the future until such time as the Government are satisfied that all suspects will be treated humanely with the minimum force necessary and will not be subjected to a policy of summary execution on mere suspicion?
I do not have anything to add at this stage to what I said in my reply, that we are seeking full details and that we are gravely perturbed. I have also made it clear that there was no Garda involvement in the affair. Naturally, these matters are kept under constant review by the Government and any action which might appear appropriate from time to time will be taken. I have already said in regard to the Aughnacloy shooting — I know every Member of the House will agree with me on this — that the shooting of unarmed civilians is unacceptable to this Government and I think it should be unacceptable to democratic governments everywhere.
Will the Taoiseach seek clarification from the British authorities regarding the contradictory accounts which they issued from time to time about the events on Sunday? Does he agree that what is required here is somewhat more than clarification from the British authorities and that a public inquiry is necessary to see whether there were alternative methods which the British security forces could have used on this occasion short of lethal killings? Will the Taoiseach insist with the British authorities that there should be a public inquiry on these matters?
The first step would be to get full details from the British authorities which, as I have indicated, we are now seeking.
Is the Taoiseach seeking these details through the Anglo-Irish Conference?
The principal approach is at diplomatic level, although the Secretariat of the Conference are fully engaged in the matter.
Therefore, the Taoiseach is using machinery of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
Yes.
Will the Taoiseach ask the British if there is any suggestion that another country, namely Libya, was involved in this affair?
I will seek the fullest possible details.
Are the reports to the effect that the three people were travelling on false Irish passports correct? If so, were the Garda aware of that fact?
My information at this stage is that two of the people were travelling on British passports.
Does the Taoiseach regard this incident as part of an emerging pattern of provocations which might indicate some change of policy by the British Government? Does he think any such change is taking place?
I should prefer not to comment on that at this stage, although all Deputies will be aware that a number of undesirable happenings, to put it no stronger than that, seem to have come together.
Will the Taoiseach arrange to have the Government represented by the embassy in Madrid, or in whatever other way is convenient, at the public inquest which presumably will take place into these deaths?
Yes, I will consider that.
Can the Taoiseach confirm that the three unarmed civilians were in fact part of a four person active service unit of the IRA in Spain, three of whom were in Gibraltar, and that they had a substantial quantity of explosives under their control, together with a licence? Can he confirm that he has received information to the effect that they intended to use that lethal explosive in cars and devices against what they would regard as acceptable targets?
I have no such information. I think it is general knowledge, however, that the three persons who were shot dead were IRA activists. That is established. Apart from that I have no specific information. Turning to a point raised by Deputy O'Malley which is also relevant to Deputy Desmond's question, one of the disquieting and extraordinary features of this matter was the totally false and misleading information which was disseminated about it in the beginning.
By whom? Was it given by the press only or by the Gibraltar authorities or the British authorities?
I am not too clear from whence it emanated. It certainly surfaced in the media.
Would the Taoiseach agree that if there is any truth in the statements made since Sunday by provisional IRA spokespersons, this incident shows the utter disregard of the provisional IRA for all life, including that of their own members?
That is inherent in what I said. The Government and all Deputies in the House condemn all forms of violence and we must do our part in combating terrorism, particularly international terrorism.