asked the Minister for Justice whether he is aware that threatening letters, purporting to be signed by an organised body, have been delivered to several Jewish residents of Dublin; and, if so, if he will take effective steps to prevent a recurrence of this crime and to bring those responsible for it to justice.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Threatening Letters to Jewish Residents.
No complaints have been made to the police in regard to the receipt of such letters.
That statement is not true. I have complained to the police myself. On last Thursday I informed the Commissioner. If that is the information the Minister has, he had better go and search his files again.
Mr. Boland
Why does Deputy Dillon say that that statement is not true? I say it is true. Deputy Dillon did undoubtedly inform the Commissioner, but the police have been waiting to get these complaints and they have not come. Deputy Dillon did not get one of the letters, did he? He informed the police that these letters were being handed out. The police were waiting to get complaints. We got no complaints and my statement is true.
The Minister has no information that the facts set out by me are true. Has he sought any information?
Mr. Boland
The police do not go around knocking at people's doors but they waited, expecting, as a result of Deputy Dillon's complaint, that some persons would complain that they had got these letters. They got no such complaint. Does Deputy Dillon expect the police to go around knocking at people's doors and asking them is it true what Deputy Dillon said? They do not do that sort of thing.
If individuals of this State are intimidated, if they receive threatening letters and are then warned not to show these threatening letters to the Gárda Síochána, is the Minister going to sit down and say he knows nothing about this until such time as the intimidated parties overcome the intimidation and come to the Gárda Síochána? Does the Minister consider that the information, in the form in which I placed it before the Commissioner, is unreliable? Does he think I was acting improperly, doing what I did? Does the Minister not realise that if information did not follow on the facts I placed in the Commissioner's hands, the Commissioner is entitled reasonably to assume that there is intimidation abroad and will the Minister take steps to bring that kind of thing under control?
Mr. Boland
When the Minister or the Commissioner gets evidence that this thing is happening, he certainly will take action, but I do not think the Deputy is entitled to say that the answer I have given is untrue. It is absolutely correct.
If the Gárda got no complaint from an individual who was attacked, who was intimidated, who was threatened, does the Commissioner propose to sit down and do nothing about it or does he propose to seek out the information in order to pursue an attempt at intimidation in our community?
Mr. Boland
He must get some evidence that this thing is happening.
If the people are so far intimidated that they do not dare to go to the Gárda Síochána, are the Government of this country going to sit down and do nothing about it? I cannot believe that that is the attitude.
Mr. Boland
I do not believe there is any such situation.
Did you try to find out?
Mr. Boland
I will not answer any more.
You cannot answer.
Mr. Boland
I could answer but I am sick of that sort of nonsense.