Committee Reports::Report No. 11 - Disturbance at Fort Mitchel prison, Spike Island on the 1st September 1985::13 August, 1986::Appendix


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Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1986 > Select Committee on Criminal Lawlessness and Vandalism > Report No. 11 - Disturbance at Fort Mitchel prison, Spike Island on the 1st September 1985

APPENDIX Q

Letter dated 10th December, 1985 from the Chairman of the Committee to the Minister for Justice

Dear Minister,

I refer to your letter of 21st November in which you state that you consider that it would be inappropriate for you to get involved in any discussion with this Committee on the recent disturbance on Spike Island.

Your letter was considered by the Committee at its last meeting. The Committee expressed disappointment thatyou were unwilling to attend at a private meeting of the Committee to discuss the events which took place on Spike Island on 1st September and the circumstancesleading up to those disturbances, including the selection procedures and the plans to deal with any emergency.

The Committee noted that you considered it inappropriate to attend a meeting of the Committee because of the fact that there is a motion, co-sponsored by myself, before the Dail. You will, of course, appreciate that the motion which appears on the Dail Order Paper arises from my role as Opposition Spokesman on Justice and not in my capacity as Chairman of the Select Committee.

The Committee expressed the view that the fact that a motion is on the Dail Order Paper should not preclude it from carrying out an examination of any particular topic. Your unwillingness to attend at a meeting of the Committee, or to allow your officials to attend as previously requested, creates obstacles for the Committee in completing its examination of this topic.

When the expanded Committee system was being established in 1983, it was intended to afford Members of the Dail a greater opportunity of considering various topics and to have a wider access to information so as to be better informed about topics within their sphere of activity.

The Committee has asked me to request you to reconsider your decision to meet the Committee to discuss the disturbances on Spike Island.

Yours sincerely,

_____________________

Dr. Michael Woods T.D.

Chairman.

Michael Noonan, Esq., T.D.,

Minister for Justice.