asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he or his officials have had any discussions with the British authorities on the possibility of joint policing.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - Joint Policing.
15.
The Government have presented the Forum report in all its aspects to the British Government. It would be inappropriate to comment on what has or has not been discussed, pending the considered response of the British Government to the Forum report.
Would the Minister not agree that the idea of allowing the British security forces to operate south of the Border would be wholly unacceptable to the people of this country? Would he agree that he should not send our Gardaí north of the Border to uphold continued British rule there and that there they would be exposed to attack from all sides?
As I said in my reply, we have submitted the Forum report to the British Government and are now awaiting their official response to that report. At that stage I hope we will be able to discuss with that Government means and structures which could be put in place to bring about some peace, stability and reconciliation for all the people of Northern Ireland.
In that connection, would the Minister care to comment on the fact that quite recently he has given as his firm view that real democracy does not exist in the six county area of Northern Ireland and that the other day on a BBC television programme the British Prime Minister went to some lengths to state categorically that there is democracy in Northern Ireland? Would he care to comment on the apparent discrepancy between the two statements?
That is clearly and distinctly a separate question.
The Minister has spoken about a response to the New Ireland Forum.
That comment——
I would very much like to hear the Minister reply. If you will permit him to reply I am sure he is prepared to do so.
Uimhir 16.
Would the Minister care to give us his own views on the question of joint policing?
I have told the Deputy that we must discuss with the British Government the Forum report and their response to it and any means and structures that can be put into place to bring peace and reconciliation to all the peoples in Northern Ireland. That is still my position. Of course, that would include the recognition, as we have done in the Forum report, of the right of the majority in Northern Ireland but it would also include recognition of the rights of the minority in Northern Ireland and the fact that in the last 60 years the system of government under which they have been forced to live clearly does not recognise their rights in any correct sense of the word "democracy".
Does that mean that the Minister is reiterating that in his view democracy as such does not exist in Northern Ireland?
Not in its purest form. I said that previously and I say it now.
The Minister said in his reply to Deputy Collins that they were awaiting the considered opinion of the British Government of the Forum. Surely this question comes under the ambit of security, and there are constant contacts with officials of his Department and England regarding security matters. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is reported as saying in recent days that greater co-operation would take place. Can the Minister say that in such discussions the question of joint policing has been raised?
No. The Deputy there is referring to the type of operational aspects of security that have taken place between the security forces in the North and South over a great number of years now which are necessary in all our interests to track down the people responsible for the outrage in Brighton last week, and I object strongly to the people responsible saying that they did in my name. The end result of their activities would be to postpone the reunification of the people of this country, not to bring them any nearer together. Any policy aspects would have to wait until we are discussing the response of the British Government to the Forum report.
But the question of joint policing has not been raised.
It could not be raised between the people we are co-operating with at present.
But it has not been raised.