asked the Taoiseach if consideration has been given to when the next Anglo-Irish summit meeting will take place.
2.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Anglo-Irish Summit Meeting.
1.
asked the Taoiseach whether he considers that it is appropriate that an Anglo-Irish summit meeting should now take place.
A Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
No arrangements have yet been made for the next Anglo-Irish summit meeting.
Would the Taoiseach agree that the good health of Anglo-Irish relations requires frequent meetings between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister? Would he further agree that the development of such initiatives as the inter-governmental council, the inter-parliamentary tier, also require frequent meetings? Would the Taoiseach agree that, irrespective of the tenor of any communications he may have had recently from the British Government, we should make all possible haste to have another meeting as soon as possible?
I would point out to the Deputy that of course the ministerial meetings in the context of the Inter-Governmental Anglo-Irish Council are taking place regularly. I would also like to mention that it is not the custom to say in advance when a summit meeting is likely to be held. I agree with the Deputy about the value of these summit meetings. From my own knowledge all such meetings held in recent years have been advantageous and helpful.
Could the Taoiseach say whether he considers that at the forthcoming EEC summit meeting the opportunity would occur to finalise arrangements for a further meeting between himself and the British Prime Minister?
At the summit meetings in the past it has happened that impromptu informal arrangements could be made during the course of the summit.
Does the Taoiseach foresee that happening?
That is possible.
Is the Taoiseach aware that at the last summit meeting of Prime Ministers it was agreed informally that the next meeting would take place in about six months or so, in fact this spring?
Early spring.
The time in the spring was not defined but it was understood that a meeting would be held certainly by the month of May. While recognising that the advent of new Government in power would involve some postponement of that, would the Taoiseach not agree that it is desirable that the continuity of meetings should not be broken by failing to have another such meeting this side of the summer, at least in the month of July?
I would agree that these meetings are useful and helpful and beneficial. But, as I said, it is not customary to say any length in advance when any particular meeting is going to be held.
It is not customary to give the date of the meeting for a variety of reasons. But the fact that the meeting is contemplated in the foreseeable future has been known in advance on previous occasions and it is reasonable to ask the Taoiseach does he contemplate and is he taking steps to secure such a meeting this side of the summer, without being more specific than that.
The Deputy will understand that the British Prime Minister and British Ministers generally have been, to put it mildly, pre-occupied with the Falklands crisis in recent times and I did not deem it appropriate to raise the question of a meeting until now.
We can understand the Taoiseach's reticence about raising it at this particular period, but given that the problem has now been substantially resolved would it be the Taoiseach's intention to fix such a meeting this side of the summer break?
I do not wish to comment on that at this stage.