asked the Taoiseach if his attention has been drawn to reports that Aer Lingus had been contacted about a consignment of arms en route from Vienna to Dublin and if he will take immediate steps to ensure that Aer Lingus do not carry these arms.
Private Notice Questions: - Arms Importation.
asked the Taoiseach if all necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the latest reported attempt to have arms imported by means of Aer Lingus will be stopped; and if he will give all the information at his disposal on this matter.
asked the Taoiseach if he is aware of further efforts which were made to import arms from Vienna; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
asked the Taoiseach if he will make a full statement on the reported attempt illegally to import arms from Frankfurt last week; whether he has information on any other attempts to import arms illegally from that or any other source; whether he is aware for whom the arms were intended; and if Aer Lingus communicated with the Government on this matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take the four questions together.
I would refer the Deputies to the statement issued yesterday by Aer Lingus to which I have nothing to add.
Which one?
The one yesterday which appeared in this morning's paper, the one which said that it was a complete mistake on the part of a telex operator of Lufthansa, that he substituted the transaction that we discussed here over the past few days with the one that he alleged took place last week. There was no such transaction.
Can the Taoiseach tell us why Aer Lingus found it so difficult to contact Frankfurt in order to have this message corroborated or otherwise?
The first reaction was to deny it. They tried to contact their man in Frankfurt who I believe has since come to Dublin anyway on holiday. They had some difficulty in contacting him. They succeeded yesterday. This man has very positively stated that there was no such telex message last week. Lufthansa itself has said that it was a mistake. They have issued a statement also. I do not know what the fuss is about.
Perhaps the Taoiseach would answer another part of my question—whether he has information on any other attempts to import arms illegally from that or any other source?
I have not.
Why did he not say that in his reply? All he did in his reply was refer us to what Aer Lingus said. I am asking him now if he has any information with regard to any other attempts to import arms.
I assume the Deputy's question hinges on the information alleged to have come from Lufthansa. There is no foundation whatever in this thing. It was a pure mistake. The telex operator of Lufthansa made a mistake and Aer Lingus did not find themselves in a position immediately to contradict that statement until such time as they could get confirmation from their own official. They have done so now very unequivocally.
May I ask the Taoiseach if he has any information on any other attempts——
I have not. I have just told the Deputy.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach if he is absolutely satisfied that all possible precautions have been taken to prevent the illegal landing of arms in this country by aircraft or by any other type of craft?
As far as aircraft are concerned the precautions are very stringent not only under our own legislation but also under the IATA rules. I told the House last week and I think the week before that I have ensured that all possible precautions be taken that unauthorised landings of arms will not be permitted either at airports or seaports or otherwise. That undertaking is being carried out to the fullest possible extent.
Did I understand the Taoiseach to say that the manufacturer was on holidays here at present?
The Aer Lingus representative at Frankfurt had already left for holiday in Ireland.
That is all right.
May I ask the Taoiseach whether his statement that he has no information on any other imports of arms means that all reports of imports of arms furnished to the security authorities have been shown to be unfounded?
I have not received information from the security forces other than the information I have disclosed to the House.
What special precautions, if any, are taken in order to prevent guns being landed on the seashore, not necessarily in ports?
There has been an alert among all Garda stations throughout the country.
So the gardaí are protecting the coasts?
There has been an alert to ensure—we cannot ring the coast around, we cannot watch every little craft coming in——
We used to have three vessels, now we have none.
——to ensure to the fullest possible extent that our Garda and Defence Forces can ensure there are no unauthorised arms coming in nor will they.
(Cavan): Has the Taoiseach directed his attention to the fact that the report about the most recent attempt to import arms specifically referred to two tons of arms whereas the report which we were dealing with last week and the week before dealt with six or seven tons of arms?
Does the Deputy not accept that this has been a complete mistake or is he doubting my word?
(Cavan): Might I suggest to the Taoiseach that we have reached the stage in this country where it is becoming increasingly difficult to accept the word of anybody about anything? I am asking the Taoiseach if he has directed his attention to the fact that the report of yesterday and the day before mentioned two tons of arms coming from Vienna to Ireland whereas the report we dealt with at length a couple of weeks ago dealt with six or seven tons? Does the Taoiseach not think that that would lead a great many people to believe there were two different episodes altogether?
Certainly not. I do not know what the Deputy is trying to flog this for. The Deputy surely will accept, as the rest of the House will have done by now, that there was no attempt whatever last week, there was no inquiry whatever and therefore, there was no question of trying to make anything of an apparent discrepancy. There was no second attempt; nor in all reason and from every practical point of view was there likely to be in the circumstances.
Could I ask one final supplementary question? The Taoiseach has cleared up one thing which was not very apparent last week: that it was through Frankfurt the arms were supposed to be coming and not from some other continental country. If the Taoiseach remembers, last week when he was making his statement he said they were brought by road from Frankfurt. Deputy Michael Pat Murphy made the point that he thought it was rather stupid that anybody should do that. I am glad the Taoiseach has cleared that point up.
I said quite clearly and unequivocally last week that they were sent from Frankfurt to Vienna.
By road?
I did not say what way.
Surely nobody in their proper senses would bring arms from Frankfurt to Vienna to bring them to Ireland?
It depends on the contacts between airports.
This most recent one was supposed to be coming direct to Dublin through Aer Lingus.
The one we were discussing was to come from Vienna to Dublin.
It was the same transaction.
The Minister would know all about it. I would not. I am only trying to get some information.
I am trying to get rid of any idea that there were two transactions. There was only one.
May I ask the Taoiseach, in view of his reply to my previous supplementary, whether he will inquire from the security authorities whether there are any other substantiated cases of arms shipments? It appears to me odd that the Taoiseach should not have sought this information. Would he not do so now so that the House could be informed there have been other arms shipments.
That is a separate question. The questions deal with one specific case.