Memorandum on the Spanish Civil War (Non-Intervention) Bill by Michael MacDunphy (Dublin)
(S9628)

There is no record of either the scheme of this Bill or its text having been either submitted to or approved by the Executive Council, or of authority being granted for the introduction of the Bill in the Dáil.

Neither did this Department receive from any source any official intimation, written or verbal, in regard to it. This Department received its first intimation regarding the Bill from the press reports of the morning of the 18th instant.

As a result of subsequent enquiries it was ascertained that following the decision of the Executive Council of 2nd instant to adhere to the proposal of the Non-intervention Committee in London steps should be taken to prevent the despatch of volunteers to Spain etc., the Department of External Affairs on the 9th instant wrote to the Department of Justice stating that the Minister for External Affairs was anxious that a Bill should be prepared to give effect to that decision and asking that Department to prepare the necessary measure.

The Bill was duly prepared and was introduced in the Dáil without being submitted to the Executive Council either for approval or for authority for its introduction, this being in direct conflict with the regular procedure.