asked the Minister for Justice the number of charges of conspiracy preferred against citizens in the last ten years; the number of persons who pleaded guilty; the number of persons found guilty; and the number of persons acquitted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Conspiracy Charges.
68.
Separate statistics for the offence of conspiracy are not kept and a detailed search through records at local level would be required to assemble the information asked for. I do not consider that the value of the information would justify the expenditure of resources required to assemble it.
Is it not true that nobody was convicted in the last few years and is it not also true that it is almost impossible to get a conviction under this heading and that is the reason why certain people were prosecuted last year under this heading?
As I have said, I have not got the figures and they cannot be obtained except at the cost of considerable public expense. I have no reason to believe that what the Deputy alleges is true.
The Minister has no reason to doubt it either. It is more of what Deputy Blaney called "turning the blind eye" to certain legislation.