asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the current situation in Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Situation in Six Counties.
1.
I propose to make a statement on this question in the debate on the motion for the Adjournment of the Dáil which will be taken after questions this afternoon.
2.
asked the Taoiseach if he expects to meet the British Prime Minister this year to discuss the situation in the Six Counties.
No arrangement for such a meeting has yet been made.
Can the Taoiseach say if any further discussions have taken place on this matter?
No.
Can the Taoiseach say if there has been any request for such a discussion since 1st May last?
The request was made at the end of April and maintained during May but, then, as I shall be explaining in the course of my statement later on, there were difficulties of convenience on both sides; on the one hand, for the British Prime Minister and, on the other hand, for me. The matter was not eventually pursued.
What does the Taoiseach mean when he says the request was "made and maintained"?
The request was made towards the end of April and frequent inquiries were made during the couple of weeks following that as to when it would be possible to have such a meeting.
Can the Taoiseach say if any opinions have been expressed or if discussions have been undertaken since last May between the British Government and the Government here in respect of events in the North?
As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for External Affairs has been in London on two occasions since then.
3.
asked the Taoiseach whether an invitation was extended to any public representatives from the Six County area to speak in other countries on the Six County situation; if so, if he will state the names of those invited and the criteria employed in making the selection; and whether it is proposed to continue this arrangement.
No invitation of this kind was extended by or on behalf of the Government.
Can the Taoiseach say if Mr. McAteer was invited by any group on this side of the Border to speak on this problem on the Continent recently?
I understand that Mr. McAteer spoke on at least one occasion recently on the Continent at the invitation of an organisation in the Hague. The invitation was conveyed to him through our Department of External Affairs and the Government Information Bureau but it was not extended to him by us.
What group or organisation actually extended the invitation?
The United Nations Association in the Hague.
Did the Government Information Bureau have anything to do with extending the invitation in the first place?
As far as I can understand it, this group asked our Ambassador in The Hague for a number of names of people who would be in a position to give an exposé of the situation in the Six Counties. The name of Mr. McAteer was amongst those mentioned as he, apparently, was known in Brussels among people of this organisation. They immediately expressed a preference for Mr. McAteer and the invitation was then extended to him. He went of his own volition.
Would the Taoiseach say whether a preference was indicated for a politician like Mr. McAteer and whether, in fact, no encouragement was given to an invitation to any civil rights speaker to speak at such functions? I note that Senator McGill of the Nationalist Party spoke elsewhere. Would the Taoiseach ensure that the civil rights people, who have borne the heat of this campaign, are regarded as people suitable to speak on this subject?
We have no responsibility whatever for the lists or categories of people. Regarding Senator McGill, I understand that Mr. McAteer was invited to speak on the second occasion by a different organisation. He was unable to attend on that occasion and he suggested Senator McGill as a substitute.
I am calling Question No. 4.
If there are requests from abroad for speakers will the Taoiseach ensure that encouragement will be given for civil rights speakers to speak?
We give no encouragement for anybody to speak.
4.
asked the Taoiseach whether the Government Information Bureau will continue to mount a publicity campaign to deal with the present situation in the Six Counties; the present staffing position of the Bureau; and whether a limit has been set to the secondment of public relations officers from semi-State bodies.
I propose to deal with the first part of this question in the course of the forthcoming debate on the Adjournment.
The staff of the Government Information Bureau consists of a director, two assistant directors, an assistant, a deputy assistant, four staff officers, and four clerical assistants. To assist in providing a special news service on the situation in the Six Counties, this staff was augmented by the addition of personnel on loan from other Departments of State or seconded from semi-State bodies. There are at present attached to the bureau thirteen officers qualified in publicity and public relations work, nine of whom are serving abroad, assisted by an executive officer and three clerical assistants.
While there is a continuing need to meet the demand created abroad by the awakened interest in Irish affairs, some of the personnel who have been engaged in the expanded news service are being released. It is not possible, however, to state when the secondment of all the public relations staff involved will terminate.
Could the Taoiseach indicate what exactly is the purpose of the publicity campaign?
I will be dealing with that in my statement.