asked the Minister for Justice if he will give details of the circumstances of the Garda search of the house of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal, who died of a heart attack on the following day; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - National Garda Search.
112.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the house in question was searched under authority conveyed by a warrant issued in accordance with section 29 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on 23 November, 1987 as part of the nationwide search for arms. I am also informed that the deceased person was in good form during the search and made no complaints of any nature to the gardaí. She subsequently spoke to a number of neighbours and in one conversation referred to the search but made no complaint about it.
On the day after the search, the person concerned was found by her daughter-in-law, dead in her bed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam. A post mortem was carried out and the findings were made known at the inquest held on 19 January. The jury returned a verdict of death due to coronary artery thrombosis. I am informed that the woman was aged 78 years.
I have no reason for believing that the search of her house on the day before had any connection whatsoever with the woman's unfortunate death. Nor do I believe that there is any basis for any attempt to link the two occurrences.