asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether it is his intention to have the question of Northern Ireland raised at the Davignon Committee in the absence of any satisfactory political initiative by the British Government.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Northern Ireland Situation.
7.
This committee were not set up to consider bilateral problems existing between their members. Whether I shall seek at some stage to have raised at the committee the question of Northern Ireland will depend on developments.
Does the Minister agree that it would seem to be logical development from his recent visits to the EEC capitals that, failing a British initiative, he, as Minister should raise this problem at that committee level? Or has the Minister ruled out any such possibility at this stage?
The fact of following a particular, defined course such as seeking to have the British Government, which must make the decision on this matter at this time, influenced by friendly governments, excludes taking other lines at this time. It should also exclude any conjecture about having to take other lines at a later stage. For that reason, I would say that we have taken a certain course of action and expect it will have some effect.
Would the Minister not consider that having this problem between two members would in some degree inhibit the working of the committee and that therefore our problem would be relevant?
As I have said, at this stage it would be counter-productive to seek to follow another line now that we have been following the line of asking friendly governments in Europe who understand all the implications as we do, of the enlargement of the Community, to influence the problem in the North of Ireland and seek to have a solution in the context of international cooperation. It would have a bad effect on our own line of action to begin thinking of following other lines at the same time. I can assure the House that we have considered all possible ways of approaching this matter and we have selected a line of action and we have not decided that line of action is unproductive.