asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the origin of the arms, ammunition and explosives recently found at Five Fingers Strand, Malin, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Arms Find.
34.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that while there is information about the places of manufacture of some of the weapons found, there is no firm indication of their more recent origin.
I am informed, for example, that the kalashnikov rifles were manufactured in Rumania, the machine-guns and some ammunition in Belguim, other ammunition in Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, and that the plastic explosives are of Czechoslovak manufacture.
There are obvious similarities between the arms found most recently and those found in a number of other locations in recent times and Garda inquiries aimed at establishing the origin of all of these arms are still in progress.
Is it known if this was part of a consignment or is it big enough to suggest that it was brought in in its entirety? Is there any connection between this find and the two recent finds in Northern Ireland? Has the Minister any indication as to whether this consignment was brought in during 1985 or 1986? Is it true that there is strong evidence that these arms, ammunition and explosives had their origin in Libya? If that is the case, will the Minister confirm or deny the rumour that very recently a Libyan Minister or very senior official from the Libyan Department of Information arrived in Dublin Airport under very strange circumstances, stayed a short period and then disappeared? Has this anything to do with all these rumours regarding the origin of these arms, ammunition and explosives? If there is sufficient evidence, would the Minister not agree that it is about time this country formally broke off diplomatic relations with that country and made it quite clear——
We have five questions with which to deal within the presecribed period of time. I have no chance of dealing with those questions if Members dwell unduly on them by way of a large number of supplementary questions. I would ask for the co-operation of the Members because at 3.45 p.m. I shall be going on to other business and it may well transpire that some of these questions will not have been dealt with. It is a matter for Deputies themselves.
I am not in the business of confirming or denying rumours.
Is the Minister saying he is not aware of the fact——
I have had to say to the Deputy on a number of occasions that I am not in the business of confirming or denying rumours. I was asked to confirm or deny a rumour and I will not do so. Deputy Barrett asked whether this consignment was part of a larger consignment. It is my opinion from what I have been told by the Garda that it is part of consignments that arrived in 1985 or 1986. I have said previously in this House that it is believed that the total volume of the four consignments — two in 1985 and two in 1986 — would approximate to that on the Eksund, which would be in excess of 100 tonnes of weaponry. I named the countries in which the items were manufactured. There is a similarity between the arms found recently but there is a difference between the arms found here and those found in Northern Ireland. The Kalashnikovs recently found in Northern Ireland, supposedly for the use of the UDA, had clear markings, whereas the marking on the guns found here had been removed. The Garda are trying to bring up the markings so as to learn more about them but they are not in a position to give me a report as to the origin of the weapons. I say that very specifically. When I have that information it will be made available to the House. The House can then discuss the matter and make recommendations.
When will that be?
I wish to avail of the opportunity to congratulate the Garda on this recent find. Do the finds of late more or less eliminate the suspected quantities brought in during 1985 and 1986?
Most certainly not. The House will remember that it is believed that the Eksund contained anything up to 1,000 AK47 Kalashnikov rifles and if the other four shipments that got in in 1985 and 1986 contain similar to what was on the Eksund, Deputies will see that we have approximately 200 or 250 rifles recovered out of a possible total oaf 4,000.
Next question please.
We will certainly appreciate any help we receive from the general public in trying to find what is still out there somewhere.