asked the Taoiseach if he was consulted by the British Government about the proposed new Advisory Council for Northern Ireland before it was publicly announced.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers. - Northern Ireland Advisory Council.
5.
While advance notice of the principal features of the statement on 2 July by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State was received from the British authorities on that date, the Government were not consulted about this proposal before its announcement.
In the Government's view, consultation on matters such as this would be consistent with the agreement to develop new and closer political co-operation and to further the unique relationship between the two countries and could only be beneficial.
May I take it from what the Taoiseach has said that he is indicating to us that the Government were not consulted in advance but that they should have been consulted?
No, I am not indicating that. The previous Government were never consulted in advance on similar occasions. The only precedent for that was when our Government were in office and then there were such consultations in regard to Sunningdale. However, that precedent was not followed during the previous administration when consultations did not take place. What I am indicating is that as part of the process of negotiation and discussion initiated by my predecessor, which I propose to follow up as rapidly as possible, that process of co-operation could usefully involve the development of consultation on matters of this kind prior to their announcement, consultation, of course, which would have to be an obligation on both sides. It could not be on one side only.
I take it from what the Taoiseach has said in his reply and in answer to the supplementary question that it is his feeling that it would have been advantageous and beneficial if the British Government had consulted him and the Irish Government before proceeding with this proposal. Is that inherent in what the Taoiseach is saying?
I would have wished that the precedent of Sunningdale had been maintained but unfortunately it was not during the period of office of the previous administration. In fact, on this occasion I think we received rather longer notice than is customary of the main content of the announcement which I understand in recent times often involved no more than a half-hour notice. I should like to see this process of consultation developing and as part of our discussions with the British Government we will be raising this issue. If we are to have a new and much closer relationship consultation of this kind would be useful. It operated successfully at the time of Sunningdale and I should like to get back to the stage we had reached when we were in office
I should like to assure the Taoiseach I am not attempting to score any party political debating points on this matter. I should like to find out the exact position of the Government in regard to this matter. It seems to me, and perhaps the Taoiseach will confirm if I am right in my interpretation, that the Government were not consulted in advance and that in his view he would have thought it desirable that they would have been consulted. If that is so, will the Taoiseach state if he has conveyed to the British Government any view on this proposal? Has he complained about not being consulted in advance and has he given a definitive opinion to the British Government about this proposal?
I have not made a complaint about non-consultation because the practice of non-consultation on matters of this kind had developed under the previous administration when the precedent set at Sunningdale was not maintained. Therefore, I did not make a complaint to the British Government. I have not conveyed any views to the British Government on this proposal.
The Taoiseach will note I am disregarding the insidious suggestion he keeps making by way of reply that the previous Government were not consulted by the British Government on these matters. Of course we were. I want to ascertain from the Taoiseach that he was not consulted about this proposal and that he has not given any view to the British Government about it. Will he tell the House if he favours the proposal? Will the Irish Government be involved in any way in the development of this proposal or is it purely a British initiative in a Northern Ireland context only?
I have not been able to give the full and careful consideration to this matter that would be desirable because of the problem of the Maze hunger strike and the attention I had to give to that matter in this period. With regard to the proposal, I await with interest the reaction of the Northern Ireland parties when they have had an opportunity to consider the proposal in detail, including any possible role a council might have in the developing relationships within these islands which are under discussion between our Government and the British Government.
Will the Taoiseach at this stage——
That is a separate question.
Only five questions have been dealt with in 40 minutes.
I will allow Deputy Haughey to ask a final question.
I find it difficult to ascertain exactly what the Taoiseach and the Government think of this latest proposal. I should like to ask the Taoiseach to insist that on any proposal brought forward in relation to Northern Ireland the Government are fully consulted in advance and fully involved at all times in the developments.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
Did the Deputy?
In view of the failure of the previous Government to maintain the position in regard to the consultations that existed when we were in power — I refer to Sunningdale — I am not in a good position to insist on this but I will take the matter up. With regard to the question of commenting on the proposals or reacting to them, I would remind the Leader of the Opposition that when the British Government published a paper on 21 February 1979 on the government of Northern Ireland a statement was issued which simply stated that the Government had noted the paper published by the British Government and would be observing developments closely with a view to assessing whether any combination of the elements outlined would be likely to meet the basic criteria of acceptability to both sections of the community in Northern Ireland.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 6.
I wish——
I am sorry, Deputy, but I have already called the next question.