Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together, as they relate to the same set of incidents.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that a report has been submitted for the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Accordingly, as it would be inappropriate for me to make any reference to anything that might be liable to be at issue in court proceedings, the only statement I can make is a restricted one and I must make it clear that it does not purport to cover all aspects of the matter.
I am informed by the Garda Síochána that they had a quantity of old files that were earmarked for destruction because they were no longer needed. A Garda van had been used to take some of those files from Dublin Castle to another place where there is an incinerator. However, the incinerator was not working properly and it was not found possible to burn all the material. The files had been packed in bags. Six of those bags remained unburned and were left in the van. The van was subsequently left parked in a city street — not by the person who had used it for the transport of the files. It was stolen and has not since been found.
The six bags were found at Dollymount Strand. Four of them were intact but the remaining two were torn at the sides. Later a civilian discovered, on the same strand, some papers that turned out to have come from the bags. Further searches were carried out by the Garda and some additional papers were found in the vicinity. Later again, some more were found some distance away by another civilian. It appears that all the papers found after the initial discovery of the bags had been in the water and had been washed up by tidal action.