asked the Taoiseach if the Government were advised or consulted by the British Government prior to the drafting of the Bill providing for a plebiscite on the question of the Border.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Plebiscite.
1.
The Government were not so consulted.
2.
asked the Taoiseach whether the proposed plebiscite in Northern Ireland was the subject of discussions with the British Premier.
3.
asked the Taoiseach if he has had any recent communication from the British Government further to his criticism regarding the decision to hold a plebiscite on the Border issue, particularly with respect to the terms outlined for that plebiscite.
4.
asked the Taoiseach if he has had any recent communication with Mr. Wilson with regard to the British Government's decision to hold a plebiscite on the Border issue.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 2, 3 and 4 together.
It would not be in accordance with practice to disclose whether such discussion or communication took place.
5.
asked the Taoiseach if following the decision of the British Government to hold a plebiscite on the Border issue early next year the Government will give consideration to holding a similar referendum in this country; and if not, why.
6.
asked the Taoiseach if, in view of the British Government's decision to hold a plebiscite on the Border issue, the Government will make immediate arrangements to hold a similar referendum in the South on the same day so that the Irish people as a whole will be given an equal opportunity to express their decision on this vital question.
7.
asked the Taoiseach if he will consider asking the British Government to postpone holding the plebiscite on the Border issue until after the local elections are held in Northern Ireland.
8.
asked the Taoiseach if he will consider making the Government's views known to the British Government with regard to possible amendments that might be made in the Bill authorising the holding of a Border plebiscite.
9.
andMr. P. Brennan asked the Taoiseach whether in addition to protesting at the holding of the plebiscite in the Six Counties he will take action to counter this misleading gambit by arranging a plebiscite on similar lines to be held on the same day in the Twenty-six Counties.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 together.
I would refer Deputies to the remarks I made in this connection in this House on Thursday last, the 2nd November, 1972, arising out of my reply to Questions Nos. 3 to 6 and Question No. 8 on that date.
I asked a similar question some months ago before the Dáil went into recess for the summer and the Taoiseach's reply at that stage was that, until such time as the Government did so decide to hold a plebiscite, he would not say what their intention was. Having regard to the fact that the British Government intend to initiate legislation to effect a plebiscite in the Six Counties, would the Taoiseach now announce what the Government's intention here is? Will they hold a referendum, or will they not, on this side of the Border?
The Deputy ought to know that this is a serious matter and one which requires considerable thought and careful consideration. In so far as he has mentioned legislation by the British Government, that legislation has only been introduced. The extent to which it may be amended, I do not know, but I hope it will be amended.
Might I inquire as to whether or not the Taoiseach has indicated his fears and, indeed, his displeasure at the proposed holding of this plebiscite in the Six Counties, the dangers inherent in the holding of it, the provocativeness of the assured result and whether, in fact, all of this will move him and the Government to make a decision to counterbalance that misleading result, a result assured before ever the plebiscite takes place, and have a true plebiscite on this side of the Border to which could be added the minority vote in the Six Counties?
I would refer the Deputy to the reply I gave in this House on that particular matter before the summer recess. It was very detailed. I spelled out with some precision the dangers I foresaw in a plebiscite in the North on the Border issue, especially a plebiscite with a question in the terms in which it would seem now to be, and, in the course of that statement, I said that, apart altogether from the provocation that would arise, there did not seem to be much point in having a question put the answer to which was already known. I have the same feeling about a plebiscite down here but, nevertheless, I still have the matter under consideration.
Arising directly out of Question No. 8, will the Taoiseach continue to make perfectly clear to Mr. Heath the misgivings which just about every party in this House have about the terms in which the proposed British plebiscite has been put? Will he continue to propose to Mr. Heath and, indeed, to Mr. Wilson, that the terms of the British plebiscite be altered?
I have made my position on this matter very clear, and not only on the holding of the plebiscite but also on the terms of reference. The Deputy need have no doubt about that.
Further arising——
I am calling Question No. 10.
It is a brief question arising out of the Taoiseach's reply. Might I ask whether or not the Taoiseach has made it quite clear to the British Government that this plebiscite, the result of which is already assured, as we all know, is just not acceptable to us? We just do not accept it. We never have and we never will.
Again, I may say that our view about the right of a small section of any nation exercising a right of this nature is that it is not accepted by us.