Vol. 503 No. 3
174 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to legal proceedings being taken against a group (details supplied) in County Fermanagh charged with obstruction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9697/99]
The cases in question have been the subject of ongoing discussions between officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the British authorities, through the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs also met with representatives of the Table Campaign, a Dublin-based human rights group who regularly send observers to contentious parades in Northern Ireland, in connection with this matter on 29 January 1999.
We have been informed by the British authorities that proceedings have now been adjourned until 30 April 1999. They further state that the charge of seeking to hinder a lawful activity was dismissed against all defendants on 14 April and that all the other charges have been dismissed against four of the defendants. The Deputy can be assured that this issue will continue to be monitored very closely by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
175 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of plastic bullets fired in Northern Ireland in the first three months of 1999; the circumstances in which these occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9698/99]
The information sought by the Deputy has been requested on a number of occasions from the British authorities through the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. A reply is pending and I will ensure that the Deputy is provided with this information as soon as it is received.
Regarding the wider issue of the use of plastic bullets, the Government has consistently urged the need for stricter controls and maximum restraint to curtail the use of these bullets to the greatest possible extent. I wish to assure the Deputy that we will continue to pursue this issue vigorously within the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and in the context of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
