§ MR. JAMES O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on Thursday last a member of the local district council, named Martin Cooney, of Hill Street, Carrick - on - Shannon, complained to District Inpector Steadman that one of a body of police under the orders of the latter had, on a bridge leading to the town, assaulted him with his baton, and seeing that Cooney asked for the name of his assailant, which the district inspector refused to give, he will give instructions that the name shall be furnished; and whether in future policemen in Ireland will be supplied with 888 distinguishing badges as in England and Scotland.
§ MR BIRRELLI am informed by the police authorities that Mr. Cooney was a member of a crowd which attempted to force a police cordon in the circumstances mentioned in my reply to the Question of the hon. Member for Mid Armagh on 25th April. The police were ordered to draw batons, and Mr. Cooney, who repeatedly threw himself on the police, was during the scuffle struck with a baton by a constable. The district inspector refused at the moment to give the name of the constable, saying that he himself was responsible. He has, however, since been instructed to give the constable's name to Mr. Cooney. I understand that the question of supplying the force with distinguishing badges has frequently been considered, but that it has been thought inexpedient to adopt such a course.