asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that three soldiers were disarmed while on Border duty on 19th March, 1972; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disarming of Soldiers.
60.
On the 19th March, 1972, the Garda authorities requested military aid in Monaghan town where the Garda station was under attack by a hostile crowd estimated at about 300 strong. A military party was despatched to Monaghan. The hostile crowd grew in number until it reached a strength estimated at between 1,200 and 1,500. An armoured car which was parked under guard some distance away was attacked by a crowd of approximately 200. They attempted to set the car on fire, deflated its wheels and smashed its windshield. The military, however, succeeded in getting the car away. In the fracas around the car two soldiers got detached from the main body, were knocked to the ground and beaten and had their rifles wrested from them. The rifles have not been recovered.
Almost every officer and man deployed at the Garda station was struck by a missile of some description but fortunately no serious injury was sustained because of their protective equipment. I deplore the behaviour of those responsible for this incident and I would like to express my appreciation of the conduct of the troops who acted with commendable restraint in the face of great provocation.
Investigations into the incident are proceeding.
Will the Minister assure the House that no opportunity will be left unavailed of to try and bring to justice the people who assaulted the military and took their arms?
I will give the Deputy that assurance. As well, I should like to issue a warning to people who are present in assemblies of this kind that they are there at their own risk. The military were tolerant and acted with considerable restraint on this occasion, but in future the reaction of the military will probably take a different form.
Surely the Minister will agree that to allow members of the Army to go with slung rifles into the middle of a crowd where they could do nothing with them—they were not going to fire into the crowd—was rather foolish. If they were to push an armoured car away someone else should have taken control of the rifles. It was a terribly stupid thing to do.
I appreciate the Deputy's comments and I am having the incident fully investigated. Beyond that it would not be wise to comment at the moment.
As the Chair has already announced, the replies to the remaining questions will go down as written replies.