Vol. 192 No. 8
andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for External Affairs whether a motion for discussion in Ireland's name asking for urgent U.N. consideration of Partition is to be tabled or has been tabled in view of the recent exacerbation of the continued unsatisfactory position.
38.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for External Affairs the number of occasions in each year since the establishment of the U.N. on which Ireland has formally raised in the General Assembly or has had raised in the Security Council the question of the partition of Ireland and the continued presence of an army of occupation in the partitioned part.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 38 together.
On 7th July, 1959, in reply to a question by Deputy Corish I dealt with the subject of raising the issue of Partition at the United Nations. Nothing has occurred since then to lead me to alter the attitude I outlined on that occasion.
The Irish Delegation has, of course, frequently referred to Partition where this was appropriate in the course of speeches on other questions. If the Deputies wish to have a list of such references, I shall be happy to supply them.
Is it a fact that the only time the question of Partition was raised in the United Nations was in the same way as some people in this country use the words "A Chairde Gael", before they address a meeting? Would the Taoiseach state whether over the long period we are members of the United Nations any specific debate took place on this problem of Partition?
I have referred the Deputy to a reply which I gave previously on a question of that kind, that the matter of raising Partition as a specific issue at the United Nations will be considered by the Government when we deem it to be in the interests of the restoration of national unity.
Does the Taoiseach believe, therefore, it is in the interests of the people to postpone the question of bringing Partition before the United Nations?
I have already asked the Deputy the question whether he is prepared to accept the decision of the United Nations on this issue.
Does the Taoiseach not realise the grave dissatisfaction that obtains in this country at the moment at the fact that we are a sore thumb in the United Nations on every other topic in the world except Partition and does he not realise the effect that has on the youth of the country?
I deny this country can be portrayed as a sore thumb.
