I desire to ask the following question, of which I have given private notice:—To ask the President if, having regard to the fact that a cessation of hostilities on the part of the Irregulars has been intimated in an order by Eamon de Valera and by Frank Aiken, published as captured documents on behalf of the Executive Council, it is still the policy to execute the provisions of the Resolution of this Dáil passed on the 28th of September, 1922, and particularly if it is the policy of the Executive Council to execute the sentence of death in the case of prisoners taken for offences other than offences in which the taking of life resulted or was clearly the intention, as in the case of the executions announced to have been carried out at Tuam?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ ORAL ANSWERS. ] - DEATH SENTENCES.
The documents referred to purported to be over the names mentioned, but the Government has no knowledge as to whether they in fact emanated from the persons so named. The Government has received no assurance of a cessation of defiance of the authority of the people or of the acts of sabotage and outrage described by the Deputy as "hostilities." The rest of the question is hypothetical.
Arising out of that answer, I would like to ask the President if the issuance of these letters or statements or proclamations by the persons named by the Publicity Department of the Executive Council does not give an imprimatur to them as having emanated from the persons so named?
No documents have been published except those that have been captured, and I have nothing further to add to the question beyond what I have stated.
May I take it the ostensible reason put forward in the early stages, that these regulations resulted from military necessity, still prevails, and will only be made operative in case of a military necessity?
I take it the action that has been taken in this case, and all cases, has been taken by reason of the military necessities of the time.