Vol. 258 No. 14
asked the Minister for Justice what action is being taken by the Garda authorities against the driver of a Northern Ireland lorry which had no rear registration number plate when it was transporting horsemeat under Garda escort from the factory of North Kilkenny Meat Exports Limited, Freshford, County Kilkenny during the night of Friday/Saturday, 14/15th January, 1972.
52.
asked the Minister for Justice what action is being taken by the Garda authorities against the drivers of two Northern Ireland lorries, who, while under Garda escort on Friday, 21st January, 1972, were in breach of the law in relation to registration number plates.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together.
The action, if any, to be taken by the Garda Síochána in respect of minor traffic offences—assuming that offences as alleged took place—is a matter for the local Garda to decide. I do not interfere in these matters and I cannot undertake to supply information about them.
Would the Minister not be in a position to give this information to the Deputy who asks the question if in fact proceedings have been instituted against these people? Surely it would be common courtesy to make a phone call from his office to the local Garda and let the House know whether or not this has been done.
I do not want to be discourteous to the Deputy or to the House, but I am afraid I would create a very bad precedent by doing what Deputy Tully suggests. All I will say is that in relation to this whole general affair, a particular gentleman has been prosecuted, convicted and fined at Ballyragget District Court, but not necessarily as far as I can see in relation to the precise incident of the plate referred to by Deputy Pattison.
The Minister will agree that it would be rather extraordinary if lorries from the Six Counties can come in here and run without the proper plates or proper licences, without number plates, on a strike-breaking expedition, protected by Garda cars, and still not be prosecuted when they are caught breaking the law?
All I can say is that there has been a prosecution but I am not prepared to go into the details.
I am sure the Minister has already a thick file on this particular company and the thousands of pounds being expended by members of the Garda Síochána in giving protection to this company, a company which is engaged in a very vigorous campaign——
The Deputy is enlarging on the question.
The Garda Síochána are not giving protection to any company. There is a private civil dispute apparently between a company and certain of its employees. The Garda Síochána are apprehensive of a breach of the peace arising out of that and as a result they have to see to what happens there in an effort to prevent a breach of the peace. They are not taking either side in this private civil dispute.
In view of the allegations made by the Minister about the apprehension of a breach of the peace, the point should be made very forcibly to the Minister that for the past four or five months this particular company has been in a trade dispute——
The Chair has already pointed out that there is a large number of questions.
——and is the Minister aware that no effort has been made——
I am not concerned with a private civil dispute.
I am not making that point.
And I do not think it should be raised in the House.
I am making a point about the prospects of a breach of the peace. Is the Minister aware of any attacks on any drivers of these lorries or any threats made against them?
I know very little about it other than what the Garda have told me. They are apprehensive that something may happen. It is their duty to keep the peace and that is what they are doing.
We in the trade union concerned, the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, are extremely apprehensive that strike breaking lorries should come in here over the Border and that this firm which has refused to recognise the men who joined the union——
The Deputy is making a statement.
This has nothing to do with whether or not there was a number plate on the lorry.
——to recognise their right to join a union, is getting very considerable assistance from this horse meat company.
53.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that licensed hauliers from outside the Twenty-six Counties are operating within the Republic illegally; and what action is being taken in the matter.
I understand that the problem of illegal haulage is already receiving a fair deal of attention from the Garda. However, with the substantial increase in Garda strength now being arranged, I have no doubt that it will be possible to increase substantially the level of enforcement.
May I inform the Minister——
The Deputy should ask a question.
Arising out of the reply, in view of the fact that at present hauliers from the Six Counties are operating freely within the Twenty-six Counties without being accosted on even one occasion by the Garda, that the Garda have been notified by the transport organisation here in the city about this, with no results whatever and in view of the fact that we are so concerned for law and order here, should we not make it clear that individuals in this State deserve the same protection from the Garda Síochána as individuals from the Six Counties who are operating here illegally?
I assume that the Deputy is aware of recent legislation whereby all restricted licences in this part of the country were converted into Twenty-six County licences and that due to a reciprocal arrangement with the Six Counties, all our hauliers, if they so desire, can operate throughout the Thirty-two Counties. Needless to say, because this country is one and we like to think of it as one, Irishmen who happen to live North of the Border are entitled to the same rights down here as we are entitled to up there.
Hear, hear.
The Minister is twisting this to suit himself and to perpetuate an idea in which he does not believe. Is he aware that these people are entitled legally to come into this State, unload their vehicles and return to their destination but that they are not entitled to unload, pick up another load in the Twenty-six Counties and take it to another destination within the State? This is a matter that has been raised by the transport organisation. So far as I am concerned, there is no objection to these people——
The Deputy is making a speech.
——operating from the Six Counties to the Twenty-six Counties provided they do not operate——
The Deputy is making a statement.
I ask the Minister to investigate this matter. The number of gardaí in the Carriage Office has been depleted to such an extent that they are not able to carry out their duties.
If Deputy Foley or, indeed, any individual in the Twenty-six Counties has evidence of an illegal act on the part of a Six County haulier, he should give that evidence to the police and a prosecution will be taken provided that the witnesses are prepared to substantiate their evidence in court.
The evidence has been given to the police.
