asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will convey to the Secretary General of the United Nations the support of the Government of Ireland for his efforts to bring about the unconditional cessation of the bombing of North Vietnam; and if the Government will support the appeals made by other European Governments to the United States Government to end the bombing of North Vietnam.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - North Vietnam Bombing.
8.
I have repeatedly stated the Government's view, inside and outside the United Nations, that the only hope of a lasting and stable peace in Vietnam, and in South East Asia generally, is that a group of nations in the region, including Vietnam, should organise themselves into a neutral area of law and limited armaments and that this area should be guaranteed against aggression by the United Nations and all the Great Powers, including China.
I have also stated that in our view such an agreement could only be negotiated successfully during a total cessation of hostilities which was not interrupted by attacks by the ground, air or sea forces of either side: every effort should be made to promote the speedy opening of negotiations for such a cease-fire agreement.
Would he also consider appeals to Ho Chi Minh in the event of any representations being made, and the Government of North Viernam to suspend their remorseless system of assassination in South Vietnam which they have been assiduously prosecuting during the past 15 years as part of the general Communist third world war which is being pursued not only in South Vietnam but in a variety of other areas in the world?
That is made clear in my reply—that all activities should cease.
Does the Taoiseach not consider it appropriate that his Government should join with the Governments of France, Norway, Holland, Denmark, among the European nations looking to the American Government to stop the bombing of North Vietnam, instead of following slavishly the British Foreign Office policy——
We do not follow slavishly any other country's policy in regard to our external relations. We believe, as I said in my original reply, that only a total cessation of hostilities in Vietnam will lead to the ceasefire we advocate, not otherwise.
Hear, hear.
Are the Irish Government in fact, by this statement, repudiating the statement made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant, when he said on 10th January, 1967: "It is absolutely necessary that the bombing of North Vietnam must stop without condition. There will be no move towards peace as long as the bombing is going on." Do the Irish Government agree with this?
Will Ho Chi Minh stop——
When Deputy Dillon is head of the Government, I shall be delighted to have his reply.
There will be no move towards peace in the circumstances, and that implies the continuation of activities by the other side. If such activities continued on the cessation of bombing, then it would be only natural that the US would retaliate even further and that the possibility of peace would recede even further.
Hear, hear.
What caused the Taoiseach to change his view since April when he told the people on television that he was against the bombing of North Vietnam? He categorically stated on television that he was against the bombing——
And I will repeat it anywhere and stand over it.
Can we take it that the Taoiseach conveyed his views on Vietnam to President de Gaulle as further evidence of our fitness to become members of the Common Market?
My discussions with General de Gaulle, as I have already stated, concerned only the Common Market.
May I make a suggestion to Deputy Cluskey, that he should use his influence with the citizens of North Vietnam——
It is typical of the Fianna Fáil Party attitude towards this, and the Taoiseach's statement in Denmark last week, which was a disgrace——
I hope what I did and said in Denmark and France were a credit. That is what I tried to do.
It was a disgrace to the nation.