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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Apr 1951

Vol. 125 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Partition.

asked the Taoiseach if his attention has been directed to recent newsagency reports that a proposal to end Partition is being considered unofficially by members of the British Government and if he will make it clear that any reasonable plan to end Partition will receive urgent and careful consideration by the Government.

I have seen newspaper reports to the effect indicated in the Deputy's question.

I do not think that there has ever been any doubt of the Government's readiness to give urgent and careful consideration to any reasonable plan to end Partition. The Deputy may be assured that the Government would willingly consider such a plan, on its merits, as a matter of the greatest urgency and importance.

Can the Taoiseach indicate when it will become possible for these plans to be laid aside and some action taken? Surely there has been enough talk by three successive Governments here about Partition.

When the Deputy becomes "a Government" perhaps he will show us how to do it.

I will show some results, anyway.

asked the Taoiseach if his attention has been called to a newspaper report of a political Party convention held in the County Hall, Mullingar, on 1st April, 1951, and attended by members of the Oireachtas, in which it is stated that a resolution was passed with acclamation urging that Fianna Fáil take steps to end Partition—by force if necessary—and if he will make it clear that the Government specifically repudiate the use of physical force as a means to end Partition and will take whatever steps may be necessary to prevent usurpation of the Government authority by any political Party.

I have seen a newspaper report dealing with the matter referred to in the Deputy's question.

I wish again to make it clear, as I have already done more than once, that the Government's approach to the problem of Partition is based on friendship and goodwill towards all our fellow-countrymen in the Six Counties and that we have repudiated the use of physical force as a means for the solution of the problem.

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