asked the Minister for Justice if he will comment on a report in the media (details supplied) which disclosed that Nazi war criminals used this country as an escape route at the end of the Second World War and that because of the political climate at the time these matters were not fully or properly investigated; the action that was taken by the Aliens Section of his Department and the Garda Síochána at that time in relation to the suggestion that this country was used as an escape route; if he will comment on reports that Dr. Joseph Mengele lived in this country under an assumed name for approximately six weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter in the light of the grave public concern caused by these disclosures.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Nazi War Criminals.
8.
(Limerick East): Such an examination as it has been possible to give to the matters dealt with in the question has not brought to light any record in my Department bearing on them. That perhaps is not surprising since what is alleged is that an alien came here under an assumed name — which is not specified — almost 40 years ago and it must be assumed that if there were any records these would refer only to the assumed name.
However, I think that I might be misleading the House if I were to leave matters at that. If, in fact, available records did contain information on the subject I should certainly have to consider whether it would be proper for me to disclose it, in the context of parliamentary questions or otherwise, having regard to the fact that it concerns, as I have indicated, matters of past history the raking over of which could, moreover, promote public controversy.
Is the Minister aware that both the BBC and ITV news media have engaged in investigations which have led them to suggest that first of all Dr. Joseph Mengele did come to Ireland and used it as an escape route and would he not agree that if an allegation of that nature is about to be made on television programmes it may get not merely coverage in the United Kingdom but world wide coverage and that it would be in the interests of this country to set the record straight publicly about any knowledge at an official level as to whether that person came to Ireland? Is the Minister aware also that there is a suggestion that a number of other Nazi war criminals escaped Europe through Ireland? Would he not agree that it is in the public interest that any records either within his Department or with the Garda should be made available and that these matters be not left to rumour or open to suggestions that may not be accurate?
(Limerick East): It is very difficult to initiate an investigation into somebody who was supposed to be in the country under an assumed name 40 years ago, but such examination as it has been possible to make of any record in my Department bearing on that has brought nothing to light.
Could I draw the Minister's attention to a report in the Sunday Independent of 3 February 1985 dealing particularly with the issue of Dr. Joseph Mengele and referring to research that has been done? Is the Minister in a position to comment further on this matter in that the research makes reference to researchers involved both in the “Panorama” programme and the “World in Action” team on covering telegrams sent from the Vatican to a Dublin religious order and other contacts here——
Long quotations are not in order at Question Time.
——advising them of the imminent arrival in this country of some persons who were suspected of being Nazi war criminals and one of those persons referred to in that newspaper report is Dr. Joseph Mengele? Would the Minister agree that it would be in the public interest to make available any public records that may exist on this issue?
(Limerick East): I am aware of an article in the Sunday Independent of 3 February 1985 but I do not know whether it has any validity. Any records in my Department under initial examination certainly have thrown no light at all on the subject.