asked the Minister for Justice in relation to the complaint of forcible and unlawful detention of Tuesday, 7th June, 1960, made by a member of the South Tipperary County Council, whether, subsequent to the forwarding on the 29th June, 1960, to the Department of Local Government of the complete Garda report on the matter, (1) any other report or information on the matter was forwarded by his Department to the Department of Local Government before the 16th November, 1960, and (2) the Department of Local Government requested any further information before the 16th November, 1960; and, if so, if he will state the dates of such reports and requests.

While I propose, on this occasion, to give the information sought in the Question, I should like to place on record that I do not agree that, in principle, it can be expected that particulars of correspondence between Government Departments will be made public, in reply to Parliamentary Questions or otherwise.

The answer to the Question is that, apart from a notification to the Department of Local Government that two of the accused persons had been returned for trial to Clonmel Circuit Court, and a subsequent notification that the trial had been transferred to the Central Criminal Court, no written Garda reports relating to the case were sent to the Department of Local Government during the period in question.

However, on dates in September, October and November, my Department confirmed, by telephone, to the Department of Local Government, in reply, to enquiries made by them, that the Garda Siochána had not obtained any information over and above that which was contained in the main Garda report sent to them on 29th June and that no opinion could be expressed as to when the criminal charges were likely to be disposed of.

It is proper then to assume from the Minister's statement that no facts relating to the case were required by the police as a result of their inquiries subsequent to their report which reached the Minister for Local Government on 29th June?

Not other than those mentioned.

These simply referred to administrative action taken as a result of the case. But as far as the facts basic to the complaint were concerned, the police got no further facts after 29th June?

No other than those mentioned in the answer to the question.

Will the Minister say whether he has had any information which would indicate, even in a remote way, that the three exceptionally exemplary men appointed by the Council——

——on the 7th June, 1960, had no connection whatever with the alleged kidnapping? Further, is the Minister aware that the three men in question were sons of Old. I.R.A. men who gave exceptionally splendid service to this country?

They are there in spite of you.

All that is wrong is that it is annoying Deputy Davern.