asked the Minister for Defence why it took Army experts approximately one hour to arrive at the GPO, Dublin, to deal with a reported bomb planted in the building.
131.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - GPO Bomb Scare.
130.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider setting up a unit to be on call for 24 hours of the day to deal with matters like the recent bomb scare in the GPO, Dublin.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together.
The investigation of reports of suspected explosive devices is primarily a matter for the Garda Síochána. Arrangements exist whereby Army ordnance officers, competent to deal with explosives, are available on call on a 24-hour a day basis to assist the Garda, if required, in dealing with such cases. In the case referred to in the questions it is not correct to say that it took the Army experts approximately one hour to arrive at the GPO. One officer arrived there 20 minutes and the other 25 minutes after the call for assistance was received.
My reason for putting down the question was because the Evening Herald said they notified the Garda at 12.50 and that the special squad from the Army arrived at 2.05 p.m. It is quite possible that the Garda did not notify the Army until 20 minutes before they arrived and that may be the explanation but the Garda were notified at 12.50 and this special group arrived at 2.05.
The Deputy will appreciate that the area of this affair for which I am responsible is the response which the Army made to this summons for assistance and, as I said, I am rather proud of the performance of the Army in this respect when they turned out 20 minutes after the summons reached them.
I am also.
Could the Minister give us the time at which the Army was notified and the time they arrived so that we can see if that coincides with the newspaper report referred to by Deputy Clinton? It is probably in the Minister's brief accompanying the reply.
The call was received at 13.30 and responded to 20 minutes later.
Could the Minister say what is the procedure in dealing with this sort of affair? At what point do the Garda feel they should contact the Army or is the Army contacted——
This would seem to be a separate question.
The Minister is explaining the procedure.
It is quite separate but it is clear enough that when the Army are summoned by the Garda or somebody else to give assistance in regard to explosive devices they come with their usual alacrity and disarm the object of suspicion.
But it is a serious situation if more than an hour elapses from the time that notice is given. It is not the Army's fault obviously in this case, that is clear, but somebody is at fault and it is a different Department again.
I am glad the Deputy concedes that the Army were not at fault. If there was a fault—and I do not agree that there was because I understand that this infernal device was not really an infernal device at all—the Army are not to blame.
I know that, but it might have been.
Could the Minister say when the Army were called? He said it took them 20 minutes to arrive on the scene. Yet they were called at 13.30 and they arrived at 14.05.
I said they arrived 20 minutes afterwards. I did not say anything about 14.05. The Army responded with their usual alacrity and should receive credit for it. Deputy Clinton has conceded that the Army, as usual, did their job very efficiently.