asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the circumstances under which a Garda surveillance van was stolen on 18 February; the progress that has been made in recovering the van; and the contents of the van at the time when it was stolen.

4.

asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the circumstances which led to confidential Garda files being mislaid and their subsequent discovery on Dollymount Strand; and how such files came to be in such a public place.

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together, as they relate to the same set of incidents.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that a report has been submitted for the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Accordingly, as it would be inappropriate for me to make any reference to anything that might be liable to be at issue in court proceedings, the only statement I can make is a restricted one and I must make it clear that it does not purport to cover all aspects of the matter.

I am informed by the Garda Síochána that they had a quantity of old files that were earmarked for destruction because they were no longer needed. A Garda van had been used to take some of those files from Dublin Castle to another place where there is an incinerator. However, the incinerator was not working properly and it was not found possible to burn all the material. The files had been packed in bags. Six of those bags remained unburned and were left in the van. The van was subsequently left parked in a city street — not by the person who had used it for the transport of the files. It was stolen and has not since been found.

The six bags were found at Dollymount Strand. Four of them were intact but the remaining two were torn at the sides. Later a civilian discovered, on the same strand, some papers that turned out to have come from the bags. Further searches were carried out by the Garda and some additional papers were found in the vicinity. Later again, some more were found some distance away by another civilian. It appears that all the papers found after the initial discovery of the bags had been in the water and had been washed up by tidal action.

It seems a coincidence that this surveillance van vanished on 18 February and it was later on the same day that the disclosures took place in relation to the Mallon bugging affair. Would the Minister give us an assurance that there is no connection between the disappearance of this surveillance van and that bugging affair, and can he say that the van has not been found as yet? Is that true?

(Limerick East): Life is full of coincidences and I have given the reply in great detail. It would be inappropriate for me to make certain references in the reply because this matter may be liable to be an issue in court proceedings. I cannot make a fuller reply that I have made, but the van has not yet been found. I assure the Deputy that the date is a matter of coincidence.

I take it, therefore, that the Minister is giving us his assurance that there is no connection between the two events. Is that so?

(Limerick East): I have no information whatsoever that there is any connection between the two events.

Uimhir 4.

That is somewhat different. The Minister has no information to that effect, and I would like to note that point at this stage. I thank the Minister for his reply.

(Limerick East): If the Deputy has information of a connection I would be pleased if he would inform the Garda.

I have asked the Minister to give us a very simple assurance——

I do not want argument across the floor from either side.

I asked the Minister if he will give us an assurance and his assurance. He will not give us his assurance but he says at the moment he has no information. I accept that for the present.

(Limerick East): I have given the Deputy the fullest information available to me within the constraints of possible court proceedings and I do not want to prejudice anything that might arise in court. The Deputy should be aware of that. He is here longer than I am, although the experience does not seem to have done him any good.