Notice was given by Deputy T.F. O'Higgins of his wish to raise the subject matter of Question No. 5 on the Order Paper for 12th June.
Adjournment Debate. - British Navy Trainees' Proposed Visit to Bantry.
Last Thursday, I asked the Minister for External Affairs why he refused permission to British naval authorities to hold a regatta for boy trainees in Bantry Bay in connection with the proposed visit by certain units of that navy to Irish waters. The Minister in his reply stated that his Department had been approached in the usual way in connection with the visit and stated that, for the first time, the tentative programme for such a visit included an inshore regatta. He further stated that, having considered the matter carefully, he had decided that, while he should follow the normal practice and authorise the usual type of visit, it would not be appropriate to invite the visiting squadron to hold the regatta. In the course of replies to further questions, the Minister stated that the reason he had refused to permit the holding of this regatta was that he felt it inappropriate while, as he stated, Britain occupied six of our counties.
I want to raise here and now the effect of that reply. It appears that the Minister was willing, as he has stated, to permit the usual type of visit to take place. I am informed that, in fact, the Minister or his Department authorised the units of the British Navy proposing to visit Glengariff and Bantry Bay to disembark and land in Bantry. I am further informed that, for some weeks before the visit, the local people in Bantry had made appropriate arrangements for the reception and entertainment of some large number of officers and men from the visiting ships.
I am informed that it was proposed that these visiting navy personnel would visit local golf courses, would climb local mountains and would generally have the enjoyment of the arrangements prepared for them by the people in Bantry. Apparently, that was to be permitted by the Minister in accordance with the normal practice in relation to the usual type of visit by units of a foreign fleet. Apparently, the reason the Minister quite suddenly withdrew his permission for this visit was that a number of boys associated with these visiting ships proposed to hold, in Bantry Bay, utilising the small boats of the visiting ships, a regatta; and because of that, the Minister cancelled the permission previously given and the whole proposal came to an end.
At that stage, the five units of the British Navy were on the high seas steaming towards Bantry, and learning this, they altered course and returned to base. The Minister told us last Thursday in the Dáil that his reason for so doing was the problem of Partition affecting us here in the Republic. I raise this matter here to-night, realising that my action in so doing may be misconstrued; but I raise it in the hope that arising from this incident, there may be some adult thinking on these matters. I raise it in the hope that the Minister may henceforward grow up and approach matters of this kind in a more sensible spirit. We undoubtedly, as a country, have a difference with Britain in relation to the division of Ireland. Having said that, I feel I have said practically everything, because in relation to the division of this country and the policy for its ending, there has been an abundance of woolly thinking and very little constructive planning.
In two months' time, the Minister and his colleagues in the Government —assuming they are still there—will be hosts to a visiting jumping team from Britain who will compete with a team from Ireland and teams from other countries, for a trophy presented by the late Aga Khan. The members of that team will also compete, as individuals, for a trophy presented by the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Defence. I am certain that the Minister for External Affairs and other Ministers will sit down to dine with members of the British jumping team, coming here to Ireland, and will accord them proper Irish hospitality, on their visit in connection with the R.D.S. Show in Dublin.
Every second year, the President of the Irish Republic feels it incumbent upon him to visit the grounds at Lansdowne Road and to shake hands with some 15 Englishmen, wearing white jerseys and a red rose, representing Britain, and England in particular, in a contest against Irishmen on the rugby field, in an international game between our two countries. From time to time we are happy to see here boxing teams from the English police force, and from other sources in England. We are happy to meet them and if we can, beat the daylights out of them.
All this raises the question why we should regard it as something threatening the security of this country, or our position in relation to Partition, when a few boys, trainees on British ships, propose merely to put out from their ships their small boats and row against one another in the waters of Bantry Bay. The Minister, apparently, feels that because they propose to do something of that kind that should be used as an occasion for demonstrating to Britain, and to the world, that we have a wrong in relation to Partition. I feel that in a matter of that kind, and following the action which the Minister has taken, we are doing ourselves more harm than if we deliberately set out to make Partition a permanent feature.
Deputies may not realise it, but the fact is that last Thursday when I raised this matter, the Minister and his colleagues in the Government had just, I assume, completed a brief for their Minister for Industry and Commerce, and their Minister for Agriculture, to leave that night, or the following morning, to go across to London to conclude an agreement—an agreement which I understand was happily concluded—to enable our farmers to sell their butter to the British people. Does the Minister consider that the selling of Irish butter and Irish produce in Britain was in any way endangering our position in relation to Partition?
There was a time, I know, when Fianna Fáil Ministers used to be in the habit of saying that the British market was gone forever and that that was a good thing. In fact, I think the Minister for External Affairs frequently made such a speech, but so far as the people are concerned, we realise now that in relation to matters that count, the bread and butter of our people, the sale of our meat, the exchange of goods, Britain is our best market, as we are Britain's. Even in the present Fianna Fáil Government last Friday that fact was clearly recognised and Irish Ministers went across to London to conclude such an agreement.
I should like the Minister to tell us this: which was a more notable fact to the British authorities and which was more apparent to them, the fact that two Irish Ministers went across to London seeking to sell Irish butter at an economic price for our people, and to conclude a fair deal with the British, or the fact that some boy trainees in the British Navy were seeking to hold a regatta in Bantry Bay? One might misunderstand the position.
In the Dáil last Thursday, the Minister felt himself free to say that I was trying to misrepresent the position. My family has long been associated with national affairs. In relation to Partition, or any national matter, neither I nor any member of my family, ever misrepresented our position. I understand it fully, but I do not think the Minister's action has in any way helped, or added one iota to our case in relation to Partition. Rather I feel that what the Minister has done is further to create a feeling of doubt amongst our people, and the people outside, as to where exactly we stand. We are willing to treat with the British in regard to butter, cattle, and the many things we wish to sell, but we take a firm stand against little boys who wish to paddle in Bantry Bay.
Is the Deputy conscious of the time?
I am. I have one minute left to conclude. The Minister, in the course of his reply last Thursday, stated that the Irish Independent, which is a national newspaper, had printed an inaccurate report. I may say that my question and the supplementaries I asked, were based largely on what I read in the Irish Independent. I believe that the report in the Irish Independent was fully, accurate and I challenge the Minister, in his reply, to show in what manner that report was inaccurate and to demonstrate the justification for his remarks last Thursday.
I just want to say, first of all that the Deputy's action in this matter is in the tradition of the Independent for the last 30 or 40 years and in his own family tradition. As I told the Deputy, the fact is that we gave one reply to the suggestion that there should be a visit by the British Fleet to Bantry Bay and that there should be an invitation to a regatta. That reply was that full permission for the usual type of visit would be given, but it would not be extended to an invitation to hold a regatta. Deputy O'Higgins and the Independent are perfectly well aware, as is anyone who takes an interest in this matter, that a regatta by a fleet after a training period is held in the home port. While I have been Minister for External Affairs, there have been over 20 normal visits by the British Navy. This was the first time it was proposed to hold a regatta. Such a regatta is a home port festivity.
Is that an Oxford Dictionary definition?
We did not think it was appropriate that Bantry Bay should be treated as a home port by the British Navy. We know that if the Deputy had his way, it would still be a home port for them. They and the Independent did their utmost to prevent us getting back the ports. The Deputy would go much further than having the British Fleet in Bantry Bay. He talks about his family. He would have the British King in the Park; he would not be satisfied with the British Governor-General.
This is rather disgusting.
It would be quite wrong for us to act as if there were no difficulties between ourselves and the British Government. We treat British sailors coming in here in the normal way as we would treat any other foreign navy coming in. If they want to arrange a contest with some of our sporting clubs, that is often arranged. But this is quite a different thing because it is a home port festivity. Bantry Bay is not, I am glad to say, a home port for the British navy.
We have the difficulty with the British over Partition. We cannot allow ourselves to behave as if that vital difficulty did not exist. The Deputy and the Independent may talk about entertaining the boys and the youngsters and make fatherly cooings about paddling in Bantry Bay, but if the British treat Bantry Bay as a home port, their own people would come to believe that no differences existed between them and us. There would be misrepresentation in other places in the world in which there are people who would like to see Bantry Bay a home port for the British Navy.
It never was.
Of course, if the Deputy thinks there is nobody who wants to see that or never wanted to see it, there is nothing I can do about it.
I said it never was a home port for the British Navy.
It was a home port for the British Navy in their eyes.
My family fought against it.
For the whole of the Bantry Band, including the O'Higginses and the Independent, it would still be a home port.
Did the Minister say Bantry ban?
Band.
It is now the ban.
The Independent talked about my truculence in refusing to invite them to hold a regatta and they said they were sorry because unfortunately there was no machinery by which in such circumstances the people could apologise for the Minister's behaviour. At one time, the Independent had a way of dealing with truculence on the part of Irishmen. They did it in 1916 when they appealed to the British to shoot the wounded James Connolly. They had a way of dealing with his truculence.
The Minister is shameful.
They induced them to bring him out of the hospital in a chair. The whole basis of this incident was well understood, not only by the Irish people but by the British people too, until the Independent started to write. Those in England who wanted to make trouble between the Irish people and the British people quoted the Independent in extenso and their description of this incident as discourtesy.
Let us hop they will not quote the Minister.
They did not quote me; they quoted the Independent. It is interesting to see the two O'Higginses on this again. The people understand their mentality, their tradition and what they are after.
They put two of them in here, anyway.
That is true. They are here.
And they understood it.
We are glad they are alone amongst the members of their Party in this attitude and that nobody wants to come in and cheer them along.
The Minister is a bit lonely on his benches at the moment.
They are a bit ashamed of him.
I am a bit ashamed?
The Minister's Party is a bit ashamed of him.
Leave that to my Party and do not interrupt.
We will let them deal with the Minister.
I do not want to go into this any further than I have done. As I have said, the normal activity of units of a visiting fleet was permitted in this case, but we refused to go beyond that and invite units of the British fleet to take part here in festivities appropriate to their home port.
The Minister thereby struck another blow for Irish freedom.
The Dáil adjourned at 11 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 18th June, 1958.