asked the Minister for Justice if there are now direct radio links between the British Army and the Gardai.

It would be contrary to established practice and to the public interest to disclose information regarding cross-Border security arrangements.

Is the Minister in a position to confirm at least indirectly that revised arrangements are in force?

They Deputy knows that I am not in the business of confirming either directly or indirectly any rumour that may be circulating in respect of security matters. As I have said in my reply, it would be contrary to established practice and to the public interest to disclose information of the kind sought in the question. I am sorry about that, but I am sure the Deputy will appreciate the need for that practice to be continued.

I appreciate fully the constraints on the Minister in this matter. That is not to say that I would not welcome revised arrangements. But would the Minister not agree that, when revisions of such security arrangements were made in the past, information was made available so that both criminal elements and other elements were left under no illusion about the situation and were made aware that the loopholes concerned had been closed off?

I can see the merit in the Deputy's question but I cannot give him the information concerned. I am sure he will appreciate that if details of security arrangements in terms of such arrangements being reviewed or strengthened were to be made know publicly, they would prove useless to the security forces who have the task of implementing the arrangements and who would be hoping that the changes in question would prove successful in combating the criminal.

Will the Minister not agree that when questions of this kind were raised during the time of the last administration there was a great furore on the part of the then Opposition, including Deputy Collins? Surely it is not inappropriate for us to inquire now if the revision that we know has taken place could be confirmed formally to the House.

The Deputy has the right to inquire and that is a right that I would not want to take from him. However, he would do well in the interest of fair play to check back on the record because I do not think he will find there a record of any question tabled by me while in Opposition in regard to security matters of the kind we are talking about.

I shall allow only one more supplementary.

Will the Minister accept that his relative coyness in relation to answering this question is in stark contract to the speculation and the continuous political fervour generated by his colleagues in relation to helicopter overflights?

Would the Minister reply to Deputy Keating, please?

I do not accept what the Deputy says.