asked the Minister for Justice the means of communication which were used between the communication headquarters at Dublin Castle and the Garda at the scene of the train crash at Dalkey.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dalkey (Dublin) Rail Crash.
14.
I assume the Deputy is referring to the train crash which occurred at Dalkey on 16 November 1979.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that communications between the communications headquarters at Dublin Castle and the gardaí at the scene of the crash were maintained by direct radio link.
Would the Minister accept that this direct radio link was a garda standing on top of a bridge with messages being passed up to him and he communicating them to the central communications headquarters?
Has the Deputy a supplementary?
I am asking the Minister one.
The Deputy is making statements.
The Chair has not been listening to my supplementary——
I am listening very carefully. If the Deputy has a supplementary he should ask it.
I am asking the Minister would this link he is talking about be a garda standing on top of the bridge with a noisy walkie-talkie communicating with the central office in Dublin city and messages being passed to him?
I am informed by the Garda authorities that communications between the communications headquarters at Dublin Castle and the gardaí at the scene of the crash were maintained by direct radio link. I understand a patrol car acted as a base radio station and had contact through a personal radio set with members at the scene and it maintained contact with the communications headquarters through the car's own radio. I am told there was also telephone and radio communication with Dalkey Garda Station. I am assured by the Garda authorities that they are satisfied that the Garda communications at the scene of the crash were satisfactory. There was one small difficulty in that the railway embankment was 30 feet high and it was not possible to communicate with the communications centre in Dublin Castle directly from the railway tunnel. Contact had to be made from the tunnel to the personnel on the road above and then to Dublin Castle.
Now the cat is out of the bag.
If the Deputy wants an answer he should stop and give me an opportunity to reply.
Question No. 15.
In the interests of——
I have called the next question. This kind of thing will have to stop.
——fair play to the Garda and those who had to handle a very difficult situation the truth should be known now as a result of the innuendo made. The situation was not unusual in that black spots in radio communications are experienced from time to time and the minor difficulty experienced at the scene of the crash did not interfere in any way with the efficiency of the Garda operation on that occasion.
Question No. 15.
Will the Minister have what I am saying investigated?
I do not have to.
Will he let the House have a report on it? Will the Minister not accept that in page 37 of the manifesto, where it is stated technical equipment, foot patrols——
The Deputy is now making a statement.
All technical equipment will be made available as a matter of urgency and after three years——
I have already called the next question. Deputy Harte may not stay on his feet for ten minutes.
I am asking a final supplementary.
I have called Question No. 15.
Does the Minister consider it good enough that when there is a serious train accident gardaí are unable to communicate——
If the Deputy is not going to allow Question Time to proceed he should resume his seat.
Is it good enough that they are unable to make contact because the Minister has not made the equipment available to them? The gardaí deserve high praise for the manner in which they carried out their duties in view of the disadvantages.
Instead of trying to denigrate the very great efforts of the gardaí on this occasion we should be thankful that they were there and operated so efficiently.
Little Red Riding Hood, come off it.
The Chair has called Question No. 15 and if Deputies do not want questions to proceed——
That is not what Deputy Harte was saying and the Minister knows it.
They sacked a man for doing his duty.
Deputy L'Estrange should not come in at this stage to take over.
(Interruptions.)
If Deputies do not want questions answered we will leave them there.
We want them answered with serious answers not sanctimonious humbug.