asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state how many ships sailing under the Irish flag were (a) attacked and (b) sunk during the last four weeks; the names of the ships and the circumstances and results of the attack; whether the parties responsible for the attack were identified; what action has been taken by way of protest; whether compensation has been sought in respect of the lives and property destroyed, and whether any steps have been taken to protect Irish ships in future against such attack.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Attacks on Irish Ships.
During the last four weeks, one Irish vessel has been sunk and three others have been attacked.
The vessel sunk was the s.s. "St. Fintan", a collier of 495 gross tons. According to the only report which has so far been received, the vessel sank about a fortnight ago at the entrance to the Bristol Channel following a loud explosion. It is not yet known whether the vessel was attacked or struck a mine. Her entire crew of nine was lost.
The vessels attacked were the s.s. "Glencullen" and "Glencree", two colliers of 448 and 481 tons, respectively, and the motor vessel "Edenvale" of 444 tons. The two former were machine-gunned by aircraft in the Bristol Channel last week. The motor vessel "Edenvale" was machine-gunned by four aircraft at the entrance to the Bristol Channel a few days later. Each of the three vessels sustained some damage, but no personal injuries were suffered. In all cases, the attacking aircraft were identified as German. The Charge d'Affaires in Berlin has been instructed to protest against these attacks, and to claim compensation for the damage done.
As I informed Deputy Dillon, in reply to a question on the 20th February, the Government is not satisfied that the advantage of providing armed protection for Irish ships would outweigh the disadvantages. There would be considerable risk that the arming of Irish ships, far from obviating such incidents as have occurred, would tend to make them more frequent, thereby increasing the danger to Irish life and property. However, in view of these recent incidents, the whole question of the protection of Irish ships is being reconsidered.