§ Mr. SANDYSasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that Mr. Justice Madden, at the opening of the assizes in Galway on 26th July, stated that it was impossible to administer the law in certain districts of that county owing to the intimidation which prevailed; and whether, as it is now the policy of the Government to employ troops for the purpose of maintaining order and preventing intimidation in Ireland, he will take steps to send an adequate military force to restore order and for the protection of law-abiding persons in that county?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question asked on this subject by the hon. Member for East Down on the 31st July last. The duty is not one which could be performed by the military.
§ Mr. SANDYSasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the address of Mr. Justice Cherry to the Grand Jury at the opening of Kerry Assizes on-10th July, in which his lordship stated that there had been a large increase in a serious form of intimidation, namely, firing into dwelling-houses; and whether he is prepared to afford military protection to persons subjected to this form of intimidation?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have seen a newspaper report of the learned judge's charge at the Kerry Summer Assizes, in which, after stating that the general condition of the county was satisfactory, he added that there had been three cases of firing into dwelling-houses between the spring and summer Assizes this year as compared with one in the corresponding period last year.28W The police are doing all that is possible to prevent this form of intimidation.
§ Mr. SANDYSasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the recent appeal made by the Roman Catholic priest of Portumna to the authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators of outrages in that locality, in view of the fact that there was an increased spirit of lawlessness in the district; and whether he proposes to take any steps, either by the employment of a military force or by other means, to restore order in this district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed that on Sunday, 14th July, the Roman Catholic priest of Portumna denounced from the altar the malicious killing of a cow, and expressed the hope that the police would be able to bring to justice the perpetrators of this outrage. His remarks were solely confined to this case, and he made no reference to an increased spirit of lawlessness in the district, which is in a peaceable condition.
§ Mr. SANDYSasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the statement made on 10th July by Lord Chief Justice O'Brien, in the course of his address to the grand jury in opening the Summer Assizes for North Tipperary, in which, referring to bomb outrages recently committed and cases of incendarism for which no one had been made amenable, his lordship said that these offences were committed by people who wished to get land for themselves and indulged in destroying property with the object of hunting the owners out of it so that it might be divided amongst those whom he might term criminals, and that he sincerely regretted that such a spirit existed and was spreading in county Tipperary; and whether, in view of the fact that these observations of the Lord Chief Justice disclose a state of terrorism and intimidation existing in county Tipperary, he will take steps to send an adequate military force to that county to restore order and for the protection of law-abiding persons?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have seen a newspaper report of the observations of the Lord Chief Justice. The hon. Member's inference that a state of intimidation and terrorism exists in North Tipperary is incorrect. The answer to the last paragraph of the question is in the negative.
Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary whether the Rev. J. Flatley, P.P., of 29W Aughower, Westport, county Mayo, has been boycotted by some of his parishioners as the result of advising the people not to be led away by agitators into striking against rent, and warning them against joining the local branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; whether the Easter dues of the priest, as a consequence of the boycott, were greatly reduced and the tail cut off his heifer; whether outrages have been committed on the property of any of his parishioners who paid the usual dues at Easter; and whether any steps have been taken against the members of the local branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians or other persons concerned in the boycotting?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe police authorities inform me that an attempt was made by some of Father Flatley's parishioners to boycott him. Various reasons have been suggested for this course. I am happy to say that the boycott did not succeed to any considerable extent, and the Easter dues were reduced by £6 only. The tail was cut off a heifer, his property, and some malicious damage was done to the property of a few of the parishioners who had paid their usual dues. These cases were30W not reported to the police for some considerable time after they occurred, and there is no evidence available to sustain a charge against any of the persons concerned.