asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if any formal claim has been received by the Government from the British Foreign Office stating the amount of the compensation claim arising from the burning of the British Embassy.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - British Embassy Burning.
15.
No formal claim has yet been received by the Government from the British Foreign Office stating the amount of the compensation claim arising from damages to the British Embassy.
We appear to have lost a few questions.
They were taken with previous questions.
A number of Questions were taken together. Questions Nos. 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 were taken together.
Could the Minister give me any basis for that?
If the Deputy was not alert enough to hear me——
The Deputy was not here.
I was here but I did not hear any reply.
A number of questions were taken together.
I am not aware of any reply to Question No. 13.
We cannot go back. The questions have been disposed of.
May I ask the Minister does the British Foreign Office own the building or have they got it on lease? Who owns it?
That is a separate question. I am not going into the legal title of the building. I am only concerned with the situation which arises under the international statute and the regulations governing matters of this kind.
This does not concern the Government at all. We have to compensate for whatever tenure they have got. We have to compensate them on the basis of whatever tenure they have.
The statement made immediately after the burning took place was that the Government were going to compensate the British Government for any loss. The question was whether they owned the building.
The House must realise that matters concerning embassies are matters which arise under diplomatic legislation throughout the world. Diplomatic offices and personnel are subject to international conventions and regulations and statute laws to which every civilised country subscribes.
May I ask whether the embassy is on lease or not?
That is a separate question. That was not the question put down by the Deputy. I am calling Question No. 16.
I am certain that the information is on the brief.
These are legal matters. The Deputy is asking a separate question. Perhaps the Deputy would put down another question next week.
On a point of order, the Ceann Comhairle gave the Minister permission to take Questions Nos. 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 at the same time. In the hearing of many Deputies in this House there was no answer whatever offered to Question No. 13.
I am sorry. We cannot go back. These questions were all taken together and there can be no discussion on them now.
In view of the fact that the questions were taken together and were not in sequence on the Order Paper, and in view of the fact that no answer was offered at all to Question No. 13, would the Ceann Comhairle now permit Deputy B. Lenihan, acting for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to answer Question No. 13?
I assume that Question No. 13 was answered with the others.
I am sure it was not answered.
These questions have been dealt with.
I referred specifically to the question mentioned by the Deputy and the Ceann Comhairle repeated what I said. I gave an answer. The Deputy was here and if he is intelligent enough he could have asked a supplementary question then.
Nobody heard the reply to Question No. 13. This is an abuse of the procedure in this House. Obviously there is extreme reluctance to reply to that question.