asked the Minister for External Affairs whether he is aware of alleged harsh treatment of six Irish prisoners in England who have been jailed in connection with arms charges; and whether his Department will make representations in the matter and inquire into these allegations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Prisoners in England.
14.
When inquiries were made of the British Home Office our embassy was informed that Mr. O'Sullivan did not wish any information about himself to be disclosed by the Home Office to the embassy. In these circumstances Mr. O'Sullivan has made it impossible for me to make further representations in the matter.
The same is true in the case of Mr. Conor Lynch.
No allegations of ill-treatment have been brought to my attention in the cases of Barry Bruton, Alan McIlveen, Eamonn Smullen and Thomas Doherty.
Are we to take it that the Department was willing to make any representations that might be necessary but there was no co-operation from the people interned?
We have made several inquiries and representations but Mr. O'Sullivan and Mr. Lynch do not want any information about themselves given to our embassy by the Home Office in Britain.
Is the Minister not aware that there is considerable concern in this country about these people?
I have answered the question. I am aware of the allegations made but when I tried to do something about it the man said he did not want the Home Office in Britain to tell our embassy anything about him. It makes it quite impossible to do anything in that case.
The position then is that no information has been given to the Department through the British Home Office of alleged harsh treatment of any of these Irish citizens interned?
Yes. I got no allegations about the four I mentioned at the end of the answer, but in relation to those I did receive allegations about, Mr. O'Sullivan and Mr. Conor Lynch, we made approaches to the Home Office. It is up to these private individuals to decide if they want information about themselves in prison given to us and they told the Home Office they did not want any information given about themselves to our embassy.
Yet the Minister is aware that allegations of solitary confinement have been made?
I am aware of the allegations but attempts on my part to do anything about them are made totally impossible by the attitude of the individuals themselves.