Vol. 348 No. 13
asked the Minister for Justice whether, in view of the recent statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the blocking of cross-Border roads, he is fully satisfied with the communications between the gardaí on the Border and Garda headquarters in relation to cross-Border security.
5.
asked the Minister for Justice the station where the officer, who was stated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to have given the authorisation to the British authorities to block three Border roads, was stationed; and if he is aware that Garda officers in the area in question have stated that they gave no such authorisation.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
The Garda authorities have assured me that, in general, communications between Garda divisions or districts along the Border and Garda headquarters are fully adequate. However, on the particular occasion to which the questions relate there was a lapse, in that standing instructions from Garda headquarters governing the reporting of matters to headquarters were not adverted to.
As regards the second question, the Minister for Foreign Affairs did not say that local gardaí gave an authorisation to the British authorities to close roads. What he said was that, in response to an approach from the RUC, a member of the local gardaí, without reference to headquarters, conveyed the view that there was no objection to the particular proposal from a local Garda standpoint. It is not customary for the Minister for Justice to identify publicly a member or members of the force simply because of a failure to comply with standing instructions, but in any event security considerations arise in this particular situation and require that I do not do so. Local officers along the Border have since been reminded by Garda headquarters of the standing instructions that all communications received from the RUC on the subject of closure of cross-Border roads should be referred to headquarters for reply.
I do not feel called on to comment on reports attributing denials to unidentified local officers.
Is the Minister of State saying a garda gave this authorisation?
I repeat it was not an authorisation in this event. In response to an approach from the RUC, a member of the local gardaí, without reference to headquarters, conveyed the view that there was no objection to the particular proposal from the local Garda standpoint. That is slightly different.
Will the Minister of State not agree that this is an extraordinary way of doing business in relation to security on the Border? Further, will she not agree that these extra barriers are useless for security purposes and are generally an inconvenience to the public? Will she give us her view in relation to that? I am glad to see that the Minister of State has stressed that there is good communication with gardaí on the Border and also that the gardaí there have the good sense in normal circumstances not to become involved in a matter like this. If the reports in the papers which said, and I quote——
It is not in order to quote at Question Time.
The Irish Independent said that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Barry, blamed the local gardaí. Is it not a case that the Minister for Foreign Affairs was looking for a phantom garda to use as a whipping boy when the arrangements that were being made went wrong?
I refer the Deputy to the Minister's statement in the House on 16 February.
Is the Minister of State satisfied that in future her Government will take the strongest possible line with regard to the blocking of these Border roads and follow the general advice of the gardaí in that area, that the blocking of roads does not serve a useful purpose?
That appears to be a different question.
I concede that may be so with regard to the latter part of the question. May I repeat the first part of my question? Will the Minister of State see to it that the Minister for Justice and the Government take steps to ensure that these Border roads are not blocked? The blocking of roads exacerbate the feelings of people on both sides of the Border who, in the ordinary course of their business, are frustrated and stopped.
I think this is about communications between local gardaí and Garda headquarters.
Are we not taking two questions together?
Yes.
Local officers along the Border have since been reminded by Garda headquarters of standing instructions and the need to adhere to them.
Is the Minister of State prepared to say the station to which this phantom garda belonged? I appreciate she does not want to mention the garda by name and we agree with that but perhaps she could give the House information as to the station in question?
I am sorry, it would be inappropriate for me to do so.
