asked the Minister for Justice if he has seen the report in the media (details supplied) that the British secret service (MI5) is active in Dublin and has penetrated the Special Branch; the action he proposes to take in view of the seriousness of the allegation made that the Séamus Mallon bugging is believed to have been carried out by a special unit inside the Garda Síochána acting without authorisation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Activities of MI5.
12.
(Limerick East): I do not feel called on either to comment on or otherwide to respond to allegations of this kind.
When an allegation of this sort is made, that the Séamus Mallon bugging was believed to have been carried out by a special unit inside the Garda Síochána acting without authorisation, does the Minister not feel that the matter should be investigated and that he should give assurances that this is not the case? Is the Minister aware that on previous occasions the security forces have been penetrated by people from outside and, consequently, it is natural that there should be concern?
(Limerick East): Ronnie Delaney at his best would not keep up with the changing allegations of Deputy Woods and I have no intention of chasing him about.
Chase Reds under the bed.
(Limerick East): If Deputy Woods or Deputy Andrews have any evidence of anything untoward in the Garda Síochána I should be happy if they would convey that information to the Commissioner.
I must make it quite clear that I am not making an allegation and the Minister does himself, his Department and his position a disservice——
I want Deputy Woods to be quite clear regarding the Standing Order regulating questions and the position of the Chair. Questions are put on the Order Paper and asked; they are answered by Ministers, and the Chair has no control over the manner in which they are answered but he has a duty not to permit counter statements.
If, in reply to a question, the Minister misrepresents the question, as he has now done, does the Ceann Comhairle not feel that the Minister should not be allowed to misrepresent it on that basis and to attribute to Deputy Woods an allegation which he has not made? He was very clearly referring to an allegation in a newspaper report to which the Minister should address himself.
If Deputy O'Kennedy considers matters like this should be raised there is a way of raising them, first, at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and, if a Deputy feels he has been misrepresented in the House, he may get permission from the Chair to make a personal explanation.
That is helpful.
(Limerick East): On the information I have, an allegation was made in an unattributed article in a newspaper published outside the jurisdiction. It was not made by Deputy Woods but I should like to point out that there is a very thin line between the originator of an allegation and the person who propagates the allegation.
We are trying to adhere to standards of propriety in this House. The Minister said in the presence of the Chair and of Members of the House that it was impossible, as he put it, to keep up with the allegations made by Deputy Woods. The fact is that Deputy Woods made no allegation and it is shameful for the Minister to get away on that basis.
He made several allegations and he changed the allegations——
Not here.
In relation to this question, will the Minister state why a civil servant was prevented from supplying an affidavit that the Taoiseach had not been informed of the further investigations that were taking place with regard to this case and why the Taoiseach was kept in the dark in regard to this matter?
That is a totally different question. It is as far out as a lighthouse from the question. I am calling Question No. 13.
I wish to ask a supplementary question.
I have called the next question.