asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the circumstances in which a general officer of a foreign army carried out an inspection of units, equipment, workshops and training establishments in the Curragh Camp on Tuesday, 16th February, 1954, and whether any other units, camps or barracks of the Defence Forces were inspected by this officer on that or any other date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers - Curragh Camp Visit.
Official approval was given for the issue of the invitation to the General Officer in question to visit the Curragh Camp. On his arrival he was received with the courtesies appropriate to his rank and which are accorded as a matter of course to any distinguished visitor to a military post. During his visit, he was afforded an opportunity of seeing troops carrying out normal routine training.
The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.
Would the Minister state whether or not this officer asked to come to the Curragh to carry out this inspection or was he invited by the Government or the Minister for Defence?
A request was made through the appropriate British Military Attaché here.
Arising out of that reply would the Minister tell us the reason why that request was made by this officer, this foreigner, commanding foreign troops, holding portion of this country and why, with the approval of the Government, he was invited down here to see what is being carried on in the Curragh? Is it a fact that during the ceremony of the guard of honour, an officer of our Army who gave the commands in our language was reprimanded for doing so and asked why he did not give the commands in the English language? Also is it fact that during his four-hour stay in the Curragh the Union Jack was hoisted?
That is a figment of the Deputy's imagination.
It is not.
You must remember that he was a distinguished visitor.
A distinguished visitor!
I want to say, in addition, if I may be permitted, that I am rather surprised, in the first instance, that this question was put down by a Fine Gael Deputy. I am still more surprised that a Fine Gael Deputy in the person of Deputy General MacEoin went out of his way to make a reference to this subject in the course of an election campaign when he said that this——
On a point of order. Are we going to be allowed——
You will not take the answer.
I want to know, if the Minister is at liberty to refer to speeches made by Deputies outside this House, will other Deputies——
What a Deputy said outside this House in reference to the matter is not relevant to the question.
It is not relevant?
Very good. It is lucky for the Opposition that that is your ruling——
It is not relevant to the question.
——for this simple reason that in 1948 the predecessor of General Woodall——
This is 1954.
——visited the Curragh in circumstances exactly similar to the circumstances which existed in respect to the visit of General Woodall. He was given the same courtesies as General Woodall got. In addition, he was brought on a tour of the southern forts and of all the military posts in the Southern Command. At the end of the tour the General was a guest of honour at a luncheon at which the then Minister for Defence, the late Dr. O'Higgins, presided. I am at a loss to understand why "our special correspondent" who went to such pains to divulge all the secrets which he thought he had discovered did not, or his paper did not, on that occasion go to the same pains to explain the situation then. The only reason he did not do so was that there were not two by-elections on then and there are now.
Arising out of the Minister's speech, may I ask if the Minister will now give as detailed an account of the visit which took place recently as he gave of the visit in 1948 —in the same detail?
Yes. General Woodall paid a visit to the Curragh and did the same thing as his predecessor did in 1948, nothing more. In other words, he inspected the guard of honour and he inspected some workshops, nothing more. It is the usual custom between armies to extend this courtesy and to pay these compliments to each other. The only thing I hope is that this cheap form of journalism, which I can only regard as mischievous, will not have any ill-effects on the friendly relations which exist between the two armies.
May I ask the Minister whether his attention has been drawn to reports published in our newspapers concerning this visit, and in particular if his attention has been drawn to a speech published in the Irish Times on Monday, February 22nd, which stated:—
"Some months ago an invitation to Sir John to visit the Curragh came from Major-General Egan. It was made through, and apparently at the suggestion of, the British Embassy in Dublin. Although Sir John had visited most of the important military establishments in the world during his career he had never been to the Curragh. Sir John replied that he would like to make the visit but that it must be in uniform."
Is there any foundation for that statement? The report goes on:—
"The invitation was renewed on the basis that he would wear uniform."
That is one report. May I ask, furthermore, whether his attention was drawn to an interview——
Quotations in questions are not usual.
This is merely to draw the Minister's attention to the reports.
Quotations in questions are not generally allowed.
Was the Minister's attention further drawn to an interview given by Lieutenant-General Woodall concerning this visit; and, thirdly, was the Minister's attention further drawn to reports which were published in the Sunday Press and the Irish Press to the effect that the request for the visit had been made by the British to the Department of Defence? Is that report correct or is it not?
There is nothing at variance with the statement which I have made and what the Deputy has just read out. I am not responsible for what General Woodall said. What he may have said is his own business and not mine. You do not usually have military officers inspecting guards of honour, as he said himself, in hard hats and striped trousers. If we are to exchange courtesies at all, we have got to face realities and exchange them as military officers and not as gentlemen in hard hats and striped trousers.
Is it correct that Lieutenant-General Woodall was invited and said he would only come if invited to come in uniform, and that the invitation was renewed to him and that he was told to come in uniform —is that correct?
I want to make this clear to the House. Lieutenant-General Woodall, or any of the generals who preceded him, are entitled, if these friendly relations exist, to make a request to pay a visit to a military establishment if they wish to do so. As I have just explained to Deputy Corish, the request in this case came through the proper authority, the British Military Attaché. If the Deputy knows anything about the business, he knows it must come through that channel. General Woodall does not communicate with me or the Chief of Staff; he communicates through the channels which are available to him, and these are the channels which I mentioned.
The Minister has not answered the question I asked.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 10.