Sir, - I have no wish to extend this debate but detail is important.
Paul Lally (Letters, April 25th) reminds us that in 1982 the naval service intervened when trawlers blocked Dublin Port.
In fact, no military personnel boarded the trawlers, although some members of the Army Ranger Wing were below decks on the LE Aisling. The blockade dispersed when Lt Cdr Peadar McElhinney nudged the Aisling between the warps put out by the trawler men.
At all events, Dublin Port its foreshore and facilities lie within the Garda’s “B” and “C” districts. Any military operation here would be in assistance to the civil power (ATCP) and would be in conformity with the provisions of the Defence Forces Act 1954.
RM Block
The point is that the Garda retains operational primacy and the military role is subordinate.
Martin McDonald (Letters, April 25th) says the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan “merely suggested that our national army could be deployed to assist the Garda”. O’Callaghan did indeed say so, but that was in a later statement. In his first statement he simply said the Army would go in. There was no mention of the Garda or any invocation of the ATCP process.
As to McDonald’s latter point, providing transport for footsore Dubliners in Army trucks during bus strikes in the 1960s and 1970s can hardly be categorised as “confronting” the citizenry.
I believe my original point (Opinion, April 19th) stands: that a line was crossed, doubtless inadvertently, in stating, without qualification, that the Army was going in to remove blockading vehicles. – Yours, etc,
CONOR BRADY,
Oranmore,
Co Galway.
