asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the topics he discussed with political leaders in the United States during his recent visit there; if any conclusions were reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Discussions with U.S. Political Leaders.
6.
As the Deputy will be aware, I paid a short visit on St. Patrick's Day to Washington where I had useful meetings with President Reagan, Speaker Wright, Senator Kennedy, Secretary of State Shultz, members of the Friends of Ireland group in Congress and other US political leaders.
During these discussions, or in the US media and television, I encouraged US citizens to visit Ireland for their holidays this year. On investment, I emphasised that Ireland offers American industry the most profitable location in Europe and I extended to US business an invitation to participate in our programme of economic recovery, particularly in growth sectors such as financial services, computer software, information technology, biotechnology, chemicals and health care.
I expressed special concern about the status of the many thousands of young Irish immigrants in the US as part of this Government's initiative to secure an improvement in their situation.
In relation to Northern Ireland, I outlined my Government's policy and expressed my thanks to President Reagan and other US political leaders for their support and encouragement for the Anglo-Irish Agreement and for the International Fund for Ireland.
I regard my visit to the US as having been a success and I intend to complement this with the Friends of Ireland who intend to visit Ireland later this year and also by further and more extensive contacts both here and in America to cement the close relationship between this country and the United States.
In the discussions in regard to the Irish who are in America illegally did the Taoiseach get any response, favourable or otherwise?
There was a very positive response to what I was saying. Among the politicians on Capitol Hill, where the authority for this rests, because it is a matter for Congress, all the political leaders to whom we spoke were anxious to hear what we had to say and were responsive to our concern about the position of immigrants and we were given every encouragement to follow up on this issue.
Did the Taoiseach in his discussions with political leaders raise issues of concern to the Irish people such as nuclear disarmament? Did he impress on the American Government the importance the Irish people attach to our neutrality and did the Taoiseach express the views of the Irish people in relation to American interference in the democratically elected Government of Nicaragua.
The Deputy will appreciate that on a short visit it was not possible to explore all the matters one might wish to explore. I wished to concentrate on the three issues I have mentioned. However, we availed of the opportunity to indicate that we attach great importance to the discussions on multilateral nuclear disarmament and that we have a clear interest in their success. With regard to the other matters the Deputy mentioned, they would have arisen from time to time in the course of casual conversations with leaders on Capitol Hill.
Is it the Taoiseach's intention to pay an official visit to the US this year?
I hope so, but I will concentrate in the interim on the visit of the Friends of Ireland to this country very soon. I would hope that between us we would make a major event of that visit and avail of it to promote the objectives I have mentioned.
It has been customary for the Taoiseach of the day to make a statement to the House on his return from a visit abroad. I appreciate that the Taoiseach's visit last week was of very short duration but I presume he will continue the practice when he goes abroad in the future.
I am open to question on this, but my recollection is that it was only on returning from visits to the European Council that the Taoiseach reported to the House. However, this is something I will look into.
May I ask the Taoiseach if, in his informal conversations on matters of general foreign policy, he found an acceptance of Ireland's independence?
I gladly assure the Deputy that there was a general acceptance of that and I did not find any indication to the contrary.