Alan Shatter
Question:1 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice if he will convey to the Garda Commissioner, and the gardaí involved, his congratulations on the recent substantial arms find in a number of different locations.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Arms Finds.
I have already taken the opportunity this week at the conference of the Garda Representative Association to publicly congratulate the Garda Síochána on the recent very significant finds of arms and ammunition in Counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick. I am sure that all Members of this House will be glad to join with me in extending our collective congratulations to the Garda Commissioner and the Force on their success to date and wish them well in their continuing search operations.
For the information of the House I want to say that in the course of "Operation Silo" the Garda Síochána have so far unearthed arms, ammunitions and arms bunkers on a total of 14 dates since mid-February 1992. The largest and most significant find was made on Saturday last, 2 May 1992 at a farm at New-market, County Cork. On that occasion 51 rifles, two machine guns and roughly 20,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered from an underground bunker. Charges are currently pending against four persons — three from Limerick and one from Cork — in connection with the various finds.
The finding of such volumes of weapons and munitions is a reminder once again — not that we need reminding — of the extent of the threat posed to our communities by the men of violence. "Operation Silo" has taken very substantial quantities of arms and ammunition out of the hands of subversives — arms which could and would have been used to take the lives of people on this island. The searches for arms hidden in our countryside must be relentlessly pursued and I can assure this House that the Garda Síochána are being provided with all the necessary resources they require to carry out searches, undertake surveillance and implement any further measures as appropriate.
The recent significant finds of arms are testimony to the ability and competence of the Garda Síochána in recovering these hidden arms dumps. Searches for arms will continue with determination and vigour until whatever further arms there may be are located and taken into safe custody. The general public can play a most important part in helping the Garda effort by passing on any information or suspicions they may have on these arms dumps. I would appeal to anyone who can help in this way not to hesitate in doing so.
I thank the Minister for his reply. The reason for phrasing the question in this way was that it was the only way we could have the question promptly on the Order Paper. Let me ask the Minister to express to the Garda and Garda Commissioner the congratulations of Fine Gael and of all Members of this House on the extraordinary work they have done in recent weeks in the very substantial arms finds that have taken place. Will the Minister express to them our full support in the continuation of that work? Will the Minister agree that it is regrettable that the good words the Minister spoke on this issue at the Garda Representative Association Conference were lost among the furore that he created by other rather foolish comments that antagonised the Garda——
The Deputy is injecting new matter. He should stick to the question on the Order Paper.
Would the Minister agree that the work the Garda have been doing in this regard could be described as lifesaving work and that the more arms that are discovered and brought to book the better? Let me join with the Minister in calling on those who are making their lands and buildings available for hiding arms caches of this nature to reveal their whereabouts and to inform the authorities.
I will be happy to do what the Deputy suggests and I support his point of view.