asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware of an accident which took place between Kildare and The Curragh on the night of 2nd December, 1958, when, as a result of a military hold-up, a car crashed into the rear of a lorry and sustained severe damage; and whether in view of the fact that the military officers in charge were responsible for this accident he will have compensation paid, and an apology conveyed to the owner of the car, who was the subject of great discourtesy from the soldier on duty.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Kildare Road Accident.
23.
I am aware of the incident in question involving two civilian vehicles, a lorry and a car, and having regard to the circumstances in which the collision occurred no liability can be accepted in respect of any damage which may have been sustained by either vehicle. I do not accept the statement that the owner of the car was the subject of great discourtesy from the soldier on duty.
I regret any inconvenience caused to the public by reason of the necessity to stop vehicles, but in the circumstances it was unavoidable.
Might I ask the Minister is he aware of the fact that the insurance company have disclaimed entire responsibility because they maintain that the soldiers stopped the lorry, which was going at a fairly reasonable speed, it being followed by the motor-car and, because the lorry was stopped quickly, the car ran into the rear of it? The insurance company maintain that the Department of Defence are responsible and they disclaim responsibility. I ask the Minister does he know who will pay for the damage?
I do not know. There was a considerable distance between the motor-car and the lorry.
Does the Minister not consider that it was bad enough for the owner of the motor-car to have it smashed up without also being subjected to impudence from the soldier concerned?
There was no discourtesy at all.
Might I convey to the Minister, through the Chair, that the soldier said: "You blind idiot, where were you going?" If the Minister does not call that discourtesy I do not know what discourtesy is.
I wish to give notice that I should like to raise the subject matter of Questions Nos. 22 and 23, on yesterday's Order Paper, on the Adjournment.
I was also going to ask permission to raise the subject matter of Question No. 8 on the adjournment, but, as the Minister would have only one and a half hours to consider a most important matter, I might forgo raising it. However, I would ask the Tánaiste to make available to Deputies, by placing it in the Library, the paper read by the director of the geological survey in Mexico City in 1956, which affects this issue vitally.
I have not got it.
The Minister never heard of it.