Deputy Cooney has given notice to raise the matter of Question 11 on to-day's Order Paper. I have come to the conclusion that it would not be desirable to raise what Deputy Cooney wants raised until the court proceedings in the case are finished. Therefore, I cannot allow Deputy Cooney to proceed.
Adjournment Debate. - A Sligo Arrest.
Could you not allow me to proceed until I infringe the regulations? I know that the Minister said——
I am not going on what the Minister said at all. I am concerned with the rules of order which prescribe that we cannot deal in the Dáil with matters which are coming before the courts. Having read carefully the question and answer, the supplementary questions and answers, I have come to the conclusion that what Deputy Cooney desires to raise could not be raised at all without in some way impinging upon matters which will come before the court. I, therefore, cannot allow this matter to be raised.
May I submit that what I want to raise was a matter against the Guards? The Guards are not charged in connection with this matter at all. There is a charge against a man whose name is mentioned in the question, but there is an allegation against the Guards which I wish to put before the Minister.
It was on that ground that I accepted the Deputy's notice to raise the question. But on consideration of the matter since it seems to me that that question also is very likely to arise in the court. Certainly, in other cases it has arisen. If the conduct of the Guards at the arrest and subsequent to the arrest is to be dealt with in the court, you cannot deal with it here.
One point should be taken into consideration here. It is that Deputy Cooney, I think, was a witness of the arrest.
No.
Even if he were, that would exactly corroborate the particular decision which the Chair has given. If he were a witness he should not be heard here until the matter was dealt with in court.
Deputy Cooney could go down to Sligo and give his evidence.
You are not ruling now that we cannot deal with the conduct of the Guards at all?
No. I am simply ruling that as the matter is coming before the court, it cannot be dealt with here now.
Will you allow it to be dealt with on Wednesday?
When it has come before the court I can give the matter further consideration. At the moment I am ruling that until this comes before the court we can not debate it here.
The Dáil adjourned at 10.30 p.m. until Friday at 10.30 a.m.