asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in implementing the recommendations contained in the reports of the Anglo-Irish Joint Studies which were presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas on 11 November, 1981.
Written Answers. - Anglo-Irish Joint Studies.
84.
As the Deputy is aware, the joint studies identified a large number of areas where Anglo-Irish co-operation might be fruitfully pursued. The possibility of an Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council which was raised in the Joint Study on Institutional Structures has now become a reality and the council are functioning routinely. Their first ministerial level meeting was on 29 January this year and since then a further five ministerial level meetings have been held. At the inaugural ministerial meeting it was agreed that the joint studies should furnish the basis for a programme of co-operation between the two Governments. The Deputy will appreciate that the studies' recommendations cover a very wide range of subjects. However, I might summarise the main progress to date as follows.
Regarding the new Anglo-Irish institutions the main development has, of course, been the establishment of the council to which I have already referred. In addition the two Governments are discussing the establishment of the Anglo-Irish Encounter Organisation. The Government will continue to pursue further development of the agreed Anglo-Irish institutions and attach particular importance to the early establishment of a parliamentary tier.
The Deputy will be aware that the whole area of voting rights in Ireland and Great Britain was one of the subjects examined in the Anglo-Irish Joint Studies. At their meeting in May 1980, the Taoiseach told Prime Minister Thatcher that, following examination of the constitutional, legal and other aspects of the matter, he was prepared to present proposals to effect an extension of the franchise here to permit British citizens to vote at elections to the Dáil. The present position is that draft legislation to give effect to an extension of voting rights here is being examined as a matter of urgency. It is the Government's intention to proceed with legislation in this field as quickly as possible.
The joint study on economic co-operation identified areas where co-operation could be developed or intensified. Several Government Departments are involved with their British or Northern Ireland counterparts in follow-up action, or in ongoing co-operation in the economic area. As the Deputy will be aware, major progress has been made in relation to the proposed sale of Kinsale gas to Northern Ireland. Further consultations have taken place at ministerial and official level, in relation to transport and communications issues, the disposal of toxic waste and the control of marine pollution. Implementation of the various cross-Border studies continues in consultation with the Northern Ireland authorities.
As regards the area of measures to encourage mutual understanding, many of the items outlined in the joint studies fall within the portfolio of the Minister for Education. I understand that progress has been made in a number of areas including the following:
—A course of training for Adult Education Organisers is being held in Magee College, Derry, 28 June-3 July, 1982.
—Two pilot courses in distance learning have been arranged by NIHE Dublin and RTE. The first of these, on computers, was put together in co-operation with the National Extension College, Cambridge, and is scheduled to commence in September, 1982. The second, on Agriculture, will come on stream next year. There are on-going discussions in progress with the Open University.
—A scheme to encourage holders of higher education grants and scholarships to attend third-level institutions in the North has been formulated and will, it is hoped, be promulgated shortly.
—The scheme to grant-aid exchanges in the youth and sport areas has been extended. A sum of £30,000 is available in the present year for this purpose.
—Contacts at inspectorial level have been stepped up and there have been fruitful exchanges in this area.
—All third-level educational institutions and teachers' centres in the Republic have been written to and asked to encourage contacts and exchanges with their counterparts in the North.
—The schools' contacts initiated in recent years under the auspices of UNESCO will be continued as resources permit.
In addition, I am providing funds to two organisations engaged in the promotion of mutual understanding and reconciliation between North and South. The organisations concerned are Co-operation North and the Glencree Reconcialiation Centre. It is intended that the grants provided will enable Glencree and Co-operation North to continue and intensify their valuable work in the field of reconciliation.
85.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there has been any further progress in the joint Anglo-Irish studies on institutions and measures to promote mutual understanding; and if he will give details of (a) the number of Intergovernmental Council Meetings since January, 1982; (b) the number of meetings at Ministerial level, and the Ministers involved, since January, 1982; (c) the position in regard to the establishment of an advisory committee and an interim Anglo-Irish encounter body; (d) any emergency meetings of the Council as envisaged in paragraph 10 of the Studies Report; and (e) any discussions since January on the establishment of an Inter-Parliamentary structure.
At a meeting in Dublin on 8 December 1980, the Taoiseach and the British Minister commissioned joint studies in five areas. These studies were prepared and completed by senior officials of the two Governments and were published on 11 November 1981.
As regards institutions, at a meeting in London on 6 November 1981 the then Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister established an Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council. Meetings within the framework of the AIIC continue to take place as and when necessary.
In the area of measures to encourage mutual understanding many of the items outlined in the joint studies fall within the portfolio of the Minister for Education. I understand that progress has been made in a number of areas including the following:
—A course of training for Adult Education Organisers is being held in Magee College, Derry, 28 June-3 July, 1982.
—Two pilot courses in distance learning have been arranged by NIHE Dublin and RTE. The first of these, on computers, was put together in co-operation with the National Extension College Cambridge, and is scheduled to commence in September, 1982. The second, on Agriculture, will come on stream next year. There are on-going discussions in progress with the Open University.
—A scheme to encourage holders of higher education grants and scholarships to attend third-level institutions in the North has been formulated and will it is hoped be promulgated shortly.
—The scheme to grant-aid exchanges in the youth and sport areas has been extended. A sum of £30,000 is available in the present year for this purpose.
—Contacts at inspectorial level have been stepped up and there have been fruitful exchanges in this area.
—All third-level educational institutions and teachers' centres in the Republic have been written to and asked to encourage contacts and exchanges with their counterparts in the North.
—The schools' contacts initiated in recent years under the auspices of UNESCO will be continued as resources permit.
In addition, I am providing funds to two organisations engaged in the promotion of mutual understanding and reconciliation between North and South. The organisations concerned are Co-operation North and the Glencree Reconciliation Centre. It is intended that the grants provided will enable Glencree and Co-operation North to continue and intensify their valuable work in the field of reconciliation.
The details regarding the operation of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council requested by the Deputy are as follows: (a) the number of intergovernmental council meetings held since January 1982 is five; (b) These meetings have been held at ministerial level and were as follows:
|
Date |
Location |
Ministers Involved |
|
30 March |
Dublin |
Mr.Padraig Flynn TD, Minister for the Gaeltacht, and Mr. Wyn Roberts MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales. |
|
31 March |
London |
Mr. Gerard Collins TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Rt. Hon. James Prior, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. |
|
17 May |
Belfast |
Mr. Ray Burke TD, Minister for the Environment, and Mr. David Mitchell MP. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responsible for the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland. |
|
18 May |
Dublin |
Mr. Albert Reynolds TD, Minister for Industry and Energy and the Hon. Adam Butler MP, Minister of State responsible for energy matters in Northern Ireland. |
|
28 May |
Belfast |
Mr. Albert Reynolds TD, Minister for Industry and Energy and the Hon. Adam Butler MP, Minister of State responsible for energy matters in Northern Ireland. |
(c) The two Governments are discussing the establishment of the Anglo-Irish Encounter group. The Deputy will be aware that it is envisaged that the Encounter organisation will provide the means to move to the establishment of the Advisory Committee in due course. The Committee will be concerned with economic, social and cultural co-operation and will be associated with the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council; (d) Paragraph 10 of the Joint Study on possible new Institutional structures dealt with further consideration of various aspects of the Council and stated inter alia that provision could be made for emergency meetings of the council to consider current problems of an urgent nature of concern to both Governments. It is clear from the details given above that the council are now functioning routinely. No emergency meetings have been held to date; (e) At my meeting with Mr. Prior on 31 March 1982 the establishment of a parliamentary their in the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental council was discussed. The Deputy will be aware of the importance attached to the tier by the Government. The matter has also been discussed since January in the course of normal official contacts. The Government will continue to pursue this further development of the Anglo-Irish institutions.