I appreciate the Taoiseach's gesture in making the statement in response to my request yesterday. I am sorry that he has not been able to elaborate much on it, but I can appreciate his difficulty in that the confidentiality of talks such as he has had with the British Prime Minister is their strength and is conducive to their being useful as long as that confidentiality is observed on both sides.
What I have to say next is being said on the assumption that there is no fundamental change in our policy in relation to this problem and that the ultimate solution of it lies in the ultimate re-unification of our country. In the meantime, there are two immediate priorities to which we must have regard. The first is the ending of violence and the restoration of peace in Northern Ireland. Secondly— and this is one of the important parts of the agenda between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister—in order to replace violence we must achieve political processes. In order to do this, I support the Taoiseach when he said that we must do everything in our power to help the formation and the working of an Assembly in Northern Ireland along the lines envisaged in the British White Paper.
We all know that the ultimate solution of this problem cannot be achieved in a short time; most certainly it will take a good number of years. That view has been expressed on both sides of the House on many occasions. Within this overall framework, there is support for such a policy by the great majority of the Irish people—almost 100 per cent of the people of the Twenty-six Counties—and the Government in pursuing that policy will have the support of all the parties represented in this House. If reconciliation and peace are to be achieved it is essential that we maintain that unified approach. We have the support of all our people, and the support of the public and elected representatives of the people. Therefore, we must continue to support this policy of reconciliation by peaceful means and by agreement. It is a policy that has been in operation and is now in operation. It has certainly been in operation over the last three or four years. We must take care to realise and to ensure that the peace and reconciliation which we seek to achieve cannot be achieved at any price. To do otherwise would not only sow the seeds of further dissension, but would also help to generate even greater violence than has been experienced in the recent past.
I should like again to thank the Taoiseach for giving the information which he has given, and to assure him of our continued support of our agreed policy towards reunification, within the framework of my opening words.
