I am also curious to know how this money is being spent. I suppose the only way to approach the matter is by the process of elimination. The first question that arises is, are they using this money to prevent naval secrets being stolen? Are there numbers of foreign spies seeking information about our naval secrets, the construction of our guns, and the type of ammunition our navy uses? I understand the only vessel we have is the "Muirchu." Somebody said she had no gun and someone else said she had one gun. Is the money being spent to protect the secrets of the Army, the construction of our new guns, the types of new ammunition for those guns, or the character of the poison gas shells that are being made here for our Army? Does the technical school where our laboratories are require protection? The Civic Guards are paid under another Vote. I hope that none of this money goes to the Civic Guards in the nature of extra pay for the purpose of taking them away from the services for which they were normally engaged. This House votes money to pay the Civic Guards full wages for their duties as policemen. We have a navy with one vessel and no gun. We have an Army that is paid out of the Army Vote. I understand the guns and ammunition are purchased abroad and we may take it any secrets in connection with them are well known to persons outside this country, possibly better known to them than to people here.
What do they expend the £25,000 on except the collection of political information? And what is the political information for? Is the money spent in collecting information about a branch of this Party, what is being done by that branch, and what it is going to do? The Minister for Justice, speaking in Connaught the other day, said that in 24 hours he knew all about the I.R.A. and what they proposed doing. I do not know whether he is paying for that information or whether it is given voluntarily. Perhaps he is acting as the friend and protector of the I.R.A. by telling them that. He tells them freely, without any reward, that if he goes out of office, within 24 hours they will be abolished. I wonder is the I.R.A. paying the Minister for giving them this information? Yesterday his Eminence Cardinal MacRory, speaking at Maynooth, said that were it not for political trouble in this country we would be the most peaceful people in the world. The general belief is that the £25,000 are being spent getting information of some kind or another about the political opponents of the Government.
I know perfectly well that none of the Ministers will say to any individual: "I will give you £100 if you get me a certain piece of information." What the members of the House are really doing by voting this money is offering money to any man who desires to degrade himself by giving information, true or false. It is just the same as saying: "Here are £25,000 voted by this House. Do you want any of it?" This money is being voted by the representatives of the country who are ostensibly here to protect the interests of the taxpayers. We are voting money to encourage people to degrade themselves by acting as spies. When you carry out a process of elimination the only issue left is this: "Get political information." Cardinal MacRory's advice yesterday was to eliminate politics.