asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to newspaper articles to the effect that during the first week in September a report was issued by the British police authorities, Scotland Yard, London stating that photographs of an Irish citizen had been taken in Dublin by a British secret agent or agents; if the Government is aware of the presence of these agents in this country and, if so, why their presence is permitted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - British Secret Agents.
34.
The answer to the first part of the question is "Yes" but I think it right to point out also that Scotiand Yard subsequently issued a statement denying the authenticity of the report in question. Moreover, and this is perhaps more directly relevant, apart from denying that the statement attributed to them was authentic, Scotland Yard stated, both publicly and in direct communication with the Garda authorities, that as a fact the picture in question was not taken for them in the manner described but was found by them in the course of a search carried out in Manchester.
May I draw the attention of the Minister to the statement from the Press Association which contradicted the Scotland Yard statement on one occasion and cast doubt in general on the veracity of the Scotland Yard statement? The Press Association are an international agency catering for the dissemination of news and I would put a lot of reliance on what they have said here. It casts some doubt on the truthfulness of the Scotland Yard statement. Would the Minister ask for a copy of the Press Association statement on this matter?
I assume that what appears in newspapers would be based on a Press Association statement. From the information Scotland Yard made available in their public statement and in direct communication with the Garda authorities, I am satisfied that whatever Press reports were published were not authentic. They were specifically denied. The kernel of the matter related to where the picture was taken. We have been assured categorically that the picture in question was found in the course of a search carried out in Manchester.
I do not think the Minister answered the second part of the question. Could he inform the House if the Government are aware of the presence of any British secret agents in this country?
That part of the question was based on the assumption that what was stated in the earlier part of the question was true, and it is not true.
Are there agents?
I am not aware of it.
They would not be very secret if you were.
Exactly. That is the reality.