§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland (1) if he can specify any-illegal conduct for which, on the alleged suspicion of some unknown person, Mr. J. J. O'Kelly has been banished from Ireland without charge or trial and of which his character, business, and literary and philanthropic engagements make the alleged suspicion reasonable; whether he is aware that this gentleman is an author and translator of numerous books, mostly historical and religious; vice-president of the Gaelic League for the revival of the 43W Irish language; secretary of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language; an active member of and constant attendant on numerous language committees, mostly conducted in Irish, all held under the rule adopted in August, 1914, strictly excluding politics; treasurer of the Irish National Aid and Volunteer Dependants' Fund; editor of the "Catholic Bulletin"; and engaged in the publishing firm of Messrs. M. H. Gill and Son; and whether, having regard to the impossibility of one so fully occupied, and respected and trusted in all these capacities, being at the same time a danger to the public safety, he will at once test by a trial the secret Report, or, in default, leave the public to believe that these very activities constitute the offence for which Mr. O'Kelly is suffering; (2) if he will give the House the name of the author of the statement typed in advance on the form which the men banished from Ireland without trial were asked to sign, that they selected certain places in England as places of residence; whether he concurred in asking the men to sign it; whether some of the men refused to take the document; whether some of them declared that they would infinitely prefer being in gaol in Ireland to residing anywhere in England; and whether these will be given the advantage of a trial, with the risk of going to goal if they can be convicted of any illegality; and (3) whether he can specify any ground for the arrest and banishment of Irishmen without charge or trial other than the two grounds disclosed by the activity of the men so treated, namely, hostility to the movement for the representation of Ireland as a distinct nation in the forthcoming international peace conference and hostility to the Gaelic League, a strictly non-political organisation for the revival of the Gaelic language; whether all the men prominent in both these movements have been or are to be banished; whether now, on the eve of the Gaelic League issuing its annual appeal for support, the following leading officers of it are under restraint in England: Eoin MacNeill, president; J. J. O'Kelly, vice-president; Sean T. Kelly, general secretary; Peadar O'Hourichan, chief organiser for Munster; Padraig O'Maille, chief organiser for Connaught; and Sean O'Murthille, a leading organiser; and whether it is calculated that these deportations at this particular juncture will bring the language movement to an end?
44W
§ Mr. DUKEMr. J. J. O'Kelly did, I believe, hold the position named in the first question. The persons recently deported from Ireland were not asked to sign any form whatever. Before serving them with the Order prohibiting them from residing in Ireland each person was given the choice of various localities in England in which he might reside, and the selection thus made was acceded to in all cases where choice was exercised. Nine men refused to accept the Order made against them on the grounds that their names were spelt in English and not in Irish, and one man stated that he would sooner be in gaol in Ireland than reside in England. It is not proposed to place these men on trial. I am informed that Messrs. MacNeill, O'Kelly, Kelly, O'Hourichan, O'Malley, and O'Hurley, who are mentioned in the third question, were officers of the Gaelic League. It is not calculated that the deportations will bring the language movement to an end. As to the inquiries in the hon. Member's questions, which are not covered by this answer, I would refer them to the general statement I made on Monday last.