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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 1963

Vol. 203 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - UN Resolution: Export of Arms to Portugal.

22.

andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for External Affairs the wording of the resolution at the UN concerning the export of arms to Portugal for use in Angola; whether it was approved; what were the voting figures; and whether Ireland supported the resolution.

I presume that the Deputies are referring to Resolution 1819 (XVII) the text of which will be found in the volume in the Dáil Library of the Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations during its Seventeenth Session.

The resolution was adopted by 57 votes to 14 with 18 abstentions, which included Ireland. As the resolution contained a clause calling for the imposition of sanctions, we could not see our way to vote for the resolution as a whole.

Is it not a fact that the unfortunate people of Angola are fighting against the dictator, Salazar, and that we, above all people, should try to help them and prevent Portugal getting arms to shoot them down as they are being shot down at the moment?

This question is related to the previous one. I have every sympathy with the people of Angola. Anything we could do which might be effective to help them to win their freedom we would gladly do, but sanctions, in my opinion, will not help. As I explained, if we are going to impose sanctions in any particular case such as South Africa or Angola, we must consider the whole broad issue of where democratic freedom is denied by an outside power having seized countries or where power has been seized within a country by a small group and——

You did not argue like that in 1916, to your credit.

——that has happened in many other places besides Africa.

Is it a fact that at present there is permanently kept at the United Nations a bowl of water in which the Irish delegate and the Irish Minister may ceremonially, Pilate-like, wash their hands when a deep principle of this kind comes before the Assembly?

That is what you people and your colleagues did in 1916.

(Interruptions.)
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