andMr. Farrell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the grave concern of the people of County Louth in general, and of the Fochart area in particular, at the action of the British Army in sealing off a number of crossborder roads, thereby gravely inconveniencing the residents on both sides of the border in the pursuance of their normal occupations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Road Closures.
1.
In the Louth-Armagh area these closures have been the subject of representations to the British authorities. The Minister is satisfied that the level of inconvenience to local residents has been minimised as a result of our representations.
The Minister is fully aware of the concern felt in County Louth and along the Border in general over the present road closure programme of the British Army and would like to assure the House that our view as to the counter-productive effect of such closures has been made known on many occasions to the British authorities.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary elaborate a little on what he meant by stating that the inconvenience has been minimised by the representations made?
As a result of the representations, not as many closures took place as were originally envisaged by the British. Specifically, there was a programme of which the British notified us in December to close a number of roads, and in consequence of the representations made from our side two of these, the H.1 and H.2 were not closed. To that extent, as I have told the House, the representations made by us had the effect of minimising the inconvenience. The British have been told that the Garda Síochána regard these closures as counter-productive. We have been making representations at police level and at Department level and the feeling we now have is that our point is getting through at last.
Is that point that no road should be closed?
That is so.
Question No. 2 postponed.