asked the Taoiseach if any communication or indication has been received from the British Government concerning the publication of papers or documents dealing with the matters affecting relations between Ireland and Britain during the last 50 years; and, if so, if he will indicate the nature of such communication.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Papers on Anglo-Irish Relations.
1.
The answer is in the negative.
There has, however, been correspondence with the British authorities in recent years in relation to access by the public or by historians to specific documents, namely,
(a) the documents which passed between the Irish and British delegations whose negotiations led to the signature of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London on the 6th December, 1921,
(b) the Report of the Irish Boundary Commission of 1925 and
(c) documents relating to certain meetings attended by Irish and British representatives in the 1920s and 1930s.
Is the Taoiseach in a position to say whether it is proposed to publish all those documents or whether any documents are to be reserved?
I should like to draw the Deputy's attention to the distinction between the word "access" which I used in my reply and the word "publication" which he used in his question. The negotiations to which I have referred relate to access rather than publication, that is, access by historians and others interested. There has not been any further development about publication since the last reply I gave in the House on 27th February.
Were any representations made by the Irish Government that certain documents should not be published?
As the Deputy is aware, there has been a relaxation on the part of the British Government about access to documents 50 years old or more. There has always been a limitation on access to certain documents which would be of a personal nature and publication of or access to which would be undesirable. I do not think I can put it any further than that.
Irrespective of documents of a personal nature, I take it access will be available to all public documents that were the subject of negotiations between the two countries?
The Deputy will have to distinguish between the kinds of documents he refers to in this context. As I have said, there has been correspondence with the British Government about documents in relation to the Report of the Irish Boundary Commission and to other documents relating to certain meetings, to which I referred in my reply, between the Irish and British representatives. They were meetings of a technical nature in relation to Imperial and Commonwealth matters. I do not know whether the Deputy has in mind any other specific documents to which he would like me to refer.
I take it the documents in relation to those Imperial and Commonwealth matters will be published, that there will be unreserved access to them by historians?
Up to a point. The British have a 50-year rule. We would prefer a much lesser term but we must have regard to British views on this matter.
I understand that the British Government have indicated that some documents which cover events during a period within the 50 years are to be reserved from the point of view of access even to historians and that others covering a shorter period are to be published. Is that the position? Is there to be free access to all documents within the 50-year group?
There is not free access as far as I know. The whole matter is the subject of legislation at present before the House of Commons. I am not au fait with the thinking in relation to the contents of the Bill or with the action the British Government will take in relation to the Bill before the House of Commons.