asked the Taoiseach if any firm arrangement have been made with regard to the date, venue and agenda of his next meeting with the British Prime Minister.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meeting with British Prime Minister.
1.
In accordance with normal practice, arrangements for my next meeting with the British Prime Minister will be announced simultaneously here and in London shortly in advance of the meeting.
Does the Taoiseach wish to comment on persistent and apparently authentic newspaper reports to the effect that the next meeting between himself and the British Prime Minister will not take place before the summer of this year?
I have no intention of commenting on such reports. The only thing I can do is to reiterate what was said at the time of the last meeting, that there would be a further meeting between us in the coming months.
The Taoiseach will recall he told the Dáil on 20 November that a further meeting would take place between himself and the British Prime Minister — he attached great importance to this fact — early in the new year. Does he wish to comment on the fact that that statement has already been proved to be untrue?
I would simply say it has not been proved to be untrue.
Can the Taoiseach tell us now that the meeting is likely to take place within the next few months? Nobody in the House would ask for the time, date and so on because of security reasons but surely the Taoiseach can tell us if these persistent reports that the meeting will not now take place before the summer and after the local elections in Northern Ireland are true of false?
The meeting will take place in the next few months. I do not understand the sources that suggested the postponement of the meeting. That is not the case. No date had been fixed and there is no question of postponement. The meeting will take place in the coming months.
Is it not obvious to all that the statement that the meeting would take place early in the new year can no longer be complied with and that to that extent the Taoiseach misled the House and the public? Will he not be honest enough and man enough to admit that this meeting will not take place before the local elections in Northern Ireland and that these much vaunted talks between himself and the British Prime Minister are going nowhere?
That is argument.
I can confirm that the latter statement of the Deputy is not correct. With regard to the meeting, it will take place——
When?
——in the coming months. There has been no change. A date was not fixed at the time. Discussions are proceeding and the meeting will take place at the appropriate time in the next few months.
I am calling Question No. 2. Deputy Allen.
Will the Taoiseach confirm that the meeting will not take place before the local elections in Northern Ireland? Will he confirm or deny that fact?
I am in no position to confirm that fact because no date has been fixed and I am not in a position to make any statement with regard to that. I have told the Deputy a meeting will take place in the next few months at an appropriate time. At the end of his previous supplementary——
I suggest that the Taoiseach is misleading the House on this important matter. He made a great fuss of the fact that a meeting would be held early in the year between himself and the British Prime Minister. That is not now going to happen. The Taoiseach is not man enough to admit it is not going to happen——
That is not a question. I have called Question No. 2.
The Taoiseach will not admit that the meeting will not take place until after the local elections in Northern Ireland.
I have told the Deputy that is not the case. No decision has been taken that a meeting will not be held in the early part of this year——
Two negatives.
From lack of information, the Deputy is unintentionally misleading the House on that point.
I called Question No. 2.