asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that arrangements have been made by Government Departments to facilitate a prosecution in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, on Friday, the 20th instant, against a person for the alleged importation of artificial manure from the Six Counties, by sending at least two customs officers in the employment of the State to give evidence in support of the said prosecution and if, in view of the fact that no offence against the laws of the Republic is involved in the importation of artificial manure, he will take steps to ensure that no State employee be permitted and/or instructed to co-operate with the British authorities in such prosecutions.
Private Notice Question. - Six County Prosecution.
I am aware that the attendance of two customs officials as witnesses in a Six County court action has been authorised by the Revenue Commissioners. This is in accordance with arrangements of long standing between the two customs administrations for the prevention of smuggling. These arrangements have been of great advantage to the State in the prevention of export smuggling, and in the circumstances I am not prepared totake any action which would interfere with them or impair effective control of illicit Border traffic.
Does the Minister not consider that, in view of the fact that the importation of artificial fertilisers is not forbidden and is not an offence against any law in this State, and indeed that the importation of fertilisers is desirable, it is highly unwise to facilitate a prosecution by the British authorities against an Irish citizen outside the jurisdiction of this State? Furthermore, has the Minister received or been made aware of a communication from the pre-Truce Association of the 4th Northern Division of the I.R.A. in regard to this prosecution and other similar prosecutions, in which State officials and civil servants from here are in the habit of giving evidence in the Six Counties?
If the Deputy had been listening to the answers given to various questions addressed to the Minister for Agriculture within the past two days and to assertions made by members on the benches opposite, he would realise that at least one of the hypotheses on which his question is based is faulty. So far as I am concerned, I shall do nothing to protect gangsters or rustlers who are engaging in this illicit Border traffic and I do not believe that the pre-Truce I.R.A. have any interest in doing so, either.
Has the Minister seen this communication from the 4th Northern Division of the pre-Truce I.R.A.?
I have nothing to add to the reply I have given.
The Deputy threw them over long ago.
Mr. O'Higgins
They are gangsters, according to the Minister.
I wish to give notice that I propose to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 54 on the Order Paper of Wednesday, 11th February.