asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the recently reported treatment by the British authorities of the national organiser of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann; and the number of such incidents that have been reported to him in the past 12 months.

15.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made a protest to the British Government regarding the detention recently of the national organiser of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann by police in Birmingham; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together. The person to whom the Deputies refer was detained by the British authorities at Birmingham airport on Saturday, 2nd April. As soon as my officials were informed of the case, they raised the matter with the British authorities and maintained contact with them until the person in question was released.

In regard to the second part of Question No. 14, 1,060 persons were detained in Britain under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the year ended 4th April, 1977.

Of those detained how many were found to be innocent and subsequently released?

I have not information on that; that is a separate question. I can tell the Deputy that in that year we raised issues with the British authorities in respect of nine cases. We did so at the request of the people concerned or their representatives. Since 1974 we have raised 110 specific cases with the British authorities.

In relation to the reported complaints by the national organiser of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, has the Minister investigated those complaints of harassment?

That matter was taken up immediately on behalf of that person and, indeed, in the course of an interview given to the Irish Post on his way home he expressed his sincere thanks to the embassy for the promptness and effectiveness of the action taken. We have not had a request to take any further action in the matter.

Was there an apology?