asked the Minister for Justice the reasons armed gardaí raided the Dublin offices of Militant; if he is satisfied that this action was necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
5.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Raid on Political Group Offices.
4.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will make a statement on the reasons and circumstances surrounding a Garda raid on the offices of a Labour Party group known as Militant Tendency.
(Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that on 17 January last, following the receipt of information that a person wanted for serious crimes was to be found at 75 Middle Abbey Street, a party of plain clothes armed gardaí carried out a search of the building under the authority of a search warrant. I am informed that the search was limited to what was necessary to establish that the person sought was not on the premises. The building included two other premises in addition to those occupied by Militant Irish Monthly and the gardaí similarly verified that the wanted person was not in either of them, though as one of them is a shop open to the public it was possible for the gardaí to make the check there without formality.
The decision to search the building was an operational Garda matter based on a professional Garda assessment as to the action that needed to be taken on foot of the available information. I am not involved in operational Garda matters and I do not consider that it would be appropriate for me to comment on the action that was taken.
I am sure the Minister accepts the importance in our democracy of the freedom to organise politically and, given that raids on the offices of political parties have very serious implications, does he feel that should the occasion arise in the future when the Garda might feel it necessary to raid the offices of any lawful political party, the Minister should first be consulted?
That seems to be a separate question.
(Limerick East): I do not agree that that procedure should be adopted. This particular building was searched on foot of Garda information. Premises other than those of Militant Irish Monthly were checked to establish if somebody whom the Garda were seeking was present. It was found that he was not present and the matter rests there. It is an operational Garda matter.
Is the Minister aware that this raid took place almost immediately before a motion to expel the militant supporters was due before the administrative council of the Labour Party? In that event does the Minister not recognise that there is an onus on him to make it quite clear to the House and to the people outside it that there is no connection between these two events? Is the Minister also aware that Senator Joe Higgins accused Deputy Spring, the Labour Party——
It is not a question.
It is a supplementary.
It is a supplementary but it does not arise out of the question asked.
He made the accusation that this was a question of coming down on the Militant group and of using the forces of the State for that purpose. There is very serious concern about that. Is the Minister aware that the general secretary of the Labour Party stated that it was unacceptable that they knew so little about the militant group since they are so opposed within the Labour Party to the present Coalition.
That does not arise on this question.
There is an onus on the Minister to assure the House that there is no connection between these two events. It is a matter of great concern to the political parties and to those engaged in political activity.
(Limerick East): I am aware of some of the matters the Deputy has raised. I am also aware that he is now proceeding to weave one of his customary tapestries of allegation and innuendo. I have answered the question. It was a routine Garda matter. “Raid” is an emotive term. Armed gardaí in plain clothes searched a building on foot of a search warrant. They searched other buildings apart from those occupied by this group. They did not interfere with anything. The search went so far as to establish that a certain person was not on the premises.
Were the premises ever searched before and have they been searched since?
(Limerick East): The premises were searched on foot of information on that day in a routine Garda operation.