andMr. Farrell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on reports that British soldiers entered the Twenty-six Counties near Carrickarnon, County Louth, on 5th March, 1974, and fired shots and threatened to shoot gardaí; and if the Government will make the strongest possible protest to the British Government and take steps to ensure that there will be no repetition of these activities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Infringement.
78.
Some 20 British soldiers crossed the Border on the main Dundalk/Newry road at approximately 4 p.m. on 5th March, 1974. Gardaí went to investigate and encountered them at a point north of the Carrickarnon customs post, between the post and the Border. The Garda officers saw three men being held down on the ground by British soldiers. Also at the scene were four vehicles including two British Army vehicles. The Garda sergeant present informed the British soldiers that they were in the Republic of Ireland and that they had no authority to be there or to take prisoners. After some heated argument the three men in the possession of the soldiers were handed over to the gardaí. The British soldiers then withdrew back across the Border in their vehicles.
On arrival at the scene, the gardaí had been informed by the British soldiers that they had been under fire from a sniper nearby and it was noted that some of the soldiers were in firing positions. The British authorities have confirmed that firing was directed from that location at a suspected sniper but they have said that the officer in charge was not aware at that time that he was south of the Border. When approached by the Garda sergeant this officer drew attention to two bombs which he said had been removed from a car which was at the location, facing south. He also drew attention to a large coal lorry just north of the Border which he said had been hijacked and contained explosives.
According to the British authorities, the patrol which crossed the Border had been on duty at a vehicle control point one-and-a-half miles north of the Border, when the hijacking incident occurred near the old Killeen customs post on the northern side. The patrol reported that the Border crossing occurred when they were in pursuit of the car containing the suspected hijackers who were stopped some 250 metres on the southern side. The stretch of road they were patrolling on the northern side is notorious for the placing of vehicle road blocks containing explosives, and five such incidents since 1st October, 1973, on this road alone are reported.
Strong representations have been made to the British Government about this incident. At my meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Merlyn Rees, on 7th March, I raised this matter and, apart from an apology, I requested action to ensure that there would be no repetition of the unauthorised actions or of the unacceptable behaviour towards the gardaí who were engaged in the exercise of their official duties. The British authorities have apologised for the incursion and have expressed regret if the attitude of the soldiers was misunderstood and caused offence.
It is not clear to me from the Minister's reply as to whether or not the British troops did in fact threaten to shoot members of the Garda Síochána.
In the course of the argument certain gestures and remarks were made by the soldiers before they released the men in their possession.
Is there any truth in the suggestion that one of the gardaí, on being threatened, "clocked" the soldier who was threatening him with a gun?
I did not quite catch what the Deputy said.
The garda "clocked" the soldier. I hope it is true. Is the Minister not aware that in regard to the statement by the officer in charge as to his ignorance of where the Border was, in this case on the Carrickarnon Road between the two posts it just is not possible for a man to make such a mistake and the excuse given was a very thin excuse? Unless he were blind he could not but know that he was on the wrong side of the Border.
On the first point, I agree there was a bit of a melee with the gardaí. On the second point, while I agree that on that road it would appear impossible that the military would be unaware of their having crossed the Border between the two customs posts, we have to have regard to the fact that what occurred was a hot pursuit of a vehicle, which was then rammed, and following that the British soldiers seemed to have thought they were under fire and it is possible they may not have had much time to consider precisely where they were in the heat of the moment.