asked the President whether, during the negotiations leading up to the London Agreement of 1925, when it was agreed to increase the compensation payable under the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923, any effort was made to get the British Government to compensate the Northern Nationalists who were burned out in 1920, 1921, and 1922, following military operations carried out by the Irish Republican Army, and who were refused compensation on the plea that the destruction of their houses was a military necessity; and to ask, further, whether he now intends to take steps to have adequate compensation awarded.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - NORTHERN NATIONALISTS—DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
The Damage to Property (Compensation) Act, 1923, save in so far as it prohibited applications under the Criminal Injuries Acts in respect of pre-truce damage, dealt only with post-truce damage in the Irish Free State, and had no relation to the destruction of property by British Forces on the plea of military necessity.
Cases of this nature could not, therefore, arise in connection with any increases in the compensation payable under that Act.
Certain claims in respect of destruction of the nature referred to, which occurred in the Irish Free State, were dealt with by the Compensation (Ireland) Commission, but only after its original terms of reference had been specially extended to enable these cases to be considered.
I do not see that there are any steps which could usefully be taken by the Government to have compensation awarded in similar cases which occurred in Northern Ireland.
I would like to point out to the President that he has not answered the first part of my question, whether during the negotiations leading up to the London Agreement of 1925, any effort was made to get the British Government to compensate the Northern Nationalists who were burned out in 1920, 1921 and 1922 following military operations carried out by the Irish Republican Army, which operations were, of course, carried out under the authority of the First and Second Dála.
The Deputy probably does not understand the nature of his question. The question of compensation arises in connection with the criminal injuries code. It is arising out of that, and it is plainly set forth in the answer, that the payment of any compensation was made.
The President still has not ánswered my question. I asked him did he make any effort when negotiations were going on and when the British Government pressed him to pay ten per cent. extra to the Southern Unionists, to get compensation for the Nationalists who were burned out in the Six Counties, even during the Black and Tan War.
The Deputy puts into his question a statement of what he intends the Dáil to assume is a fact. It is not a fact. The British Government did not ask for ten per cent. to be paid and, therefore, the Deputy's statement is not, as a matter of fact, true.
I would like to point out I did not say that. I will raise this matter on the adjournment, as I cannot say enough on it now.
What is the question for the adjournment?
We will ascertain that at the end of questions.