asked the Minister for Justice the date on which Irish citizenship was granted to a person (name supplied).
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Granting of Irish Citizenship.
72.
The date was 26th August, 1954.
Is the Minister aware if there was any departmental or diplomatic examination of the background of that person before Irish citizenship was granted to him?
It is a good while ago and I cannot be certain as to the full details of the examination. However, the file seems to suggest that there was a good deal of investigation before Mr. Everett, the Labour Minister for Justice, naturalised this person.
I have asked the question in the public interest. I make no comment whatever on any aspect of it. I am asking the Minister if he is aware that it is alleged that the person given Irish citizenship at that point of time had been convicted in Belgium of a very serious war crime in 1946.
The Deputy is now enlarging very much on the question he originally asked.
I am asking the Minister in relation to the person concerned if it was known to the Department at that point of time——
The Deputy asked for the date only.
——that that person was convicted in Belgium, that he was a war criminal, sentenced to death who escaped from that country in 1948 and subsequently came to this country.
The Deputy will do anything for publicity.
I think this is in the public interest.
It would appear from the file that this information was available to the then Minister for Justice before he naturalised the gentleman in question.
Arising out of the Minister's reply and the supplementary questions, a very serious reflection has been made on a dead man, the Minister for Justice at the time, Deputy Everett of the Labour Party, by Deputy Desmond.
It has not.
I should like to ask the Minister if the man referred to is the man Deputy Desmond referred to last week, Mr. Luykx, when he indicated that he was about to start a witch hunt.
The Deputy is now moving away from the question that was asked. The Minister was asked the date on which Irish citizenship was granted.
The Coalition Government were responsible — a dead man.
I would have asked the question if it were my own father.