asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to a newspaper report (details supplied) that members of the British intelligence service are operating in this country and the action he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Press Reports on Intelligence Activities.
15.
I have seen the report referred to by the Deputy.
I have no responsibility for the content of newspaper articles and I do not see what action the Deputy envisages that I should take in relation to the articles in question.
I can, however, assure the House that appropriate action would be taken if evidence became available that unacceptable activity was being promoted within our jurisdiction by any foreign government, though I would not necessarily think it in our national interest to make a public disclosure or such action or of the evidence on which it was based.
Will the Minister tell the House if there is an obligation on such governments to inform the Irish authorities of the presence here of agents or members of the intelligence service referred to here?
I have very carefully considered the question put to me and I have given a carefully considered and reasonable reply. I do not propose to add anything to it.
For the sake of everybody inside and outside the House, I should like to know if there is an obligation or an understanding between governments—not necessarily the governments involved here—that would insist that the Minister or his colleagues be informed of personnel of foreign intelligence services being present in this country?
I can assure the Deputy that no foreign government have the right to promote this kind of unacceptable activity in our jurisdiction.
The Minister has not answered my question.
The Minister will note that in the article in question it was established that there were three different intelligence agencies working in Northern Ireland each independent of the other and phonetapping was a prominent factor in their gathering of information. Will the Minister not concede that such a thing could be happening here? If so, what steps will he take against it?
I should like to inform the Deputy that I am not responsible for what appeared in the newspaper articles in question.
I did not say the Minister was responsible. I asked him if he read the articles.
Of course I read the articles. Secondly, I should like to tell the Deputy that, if there is any evidence available that this kind of activity is being promoted within our jurisdiction, then I will take the appropriate steps to deal with it.
This is passing the buck. The Minister has said that if there was any evidence he would deal with the matter. Surely it will be too late for the Minister to find evidence after the event. The writer of the articles in question quoted people practically verbatim and his facts were strong. I am asking the Minister what steps he can take to prevent that kind of thing happening this side of the Border.
I am afraid I cannot accept the implication in the Deputy's supplementary question that the content of a newspaper article is sufficient evidence for me, as Minister for Justice, to act upon.
I am not saying that.
I hope the Deputy will forgive me if I have misinterpreted him.
The Minister did not answer the question.
The Minister answered the question. Deputies are widening the scope of Question No. 15.
I know the writer of the articles and he is never far from the truth, wherever he gets the information. I am asking the Minister if he can give an assurance to the House that such things are not happening here.
In giving an assurance to the House, I am satisfied there is no evidence whatever to say that is happening here.
There was no evidence north of the Border that it was happening.
I cannot accept newspaper reports as evidence, irrespective of who the author may be. If there is any evidence available to anybody I am sure the Garda authorities will welcome it.
The Minister used the word "evidence" in a proper and technical sense and I accept it may not be evidence as such. The Minister said he read the articles in question. I take it that he and the authorities would be concerned to ensure as far as possible that such activities do not occur and that it does not require legal evidence——
Perhaps I can be helpful to the Deputy and say that information could be considered by the Garda authorities that might lead to whatever evidence that may be required to take appropriate action. I would welcome any information for investigation by the Garda Síochána.