Vol. 380 No. 7
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if officials of the Anglo-Irish Conference have started the preparatory work for the review of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November 1988; if the review was raised at the recent ministerial meeting in Dublin; and if he will outline the Government's objectives in the review.
27.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress which has been made to date in the review of the workings of the Intergovernmental Conference of the Anglo-Irish Agreement; the aspects which have been considered so far; when the review is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Priority Question No. 38 and Question No. 27 together.
It would be premature at this time for the Government to outline plans for the review provided for in Article II of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. The review was not discussed at the last meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference.
Given the interesting reports carried in the newspapers in the past few days and the obvious movement of political opinion in Northern Ireland, will the Taoiseach say whether he is now contemplating a review of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November or whether he is open to its renegotiation?
As the Deputy knows, Article 11 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement speaks about a review of the workings of the Conference; that is all that is involved in Article 11.
Therefore, would the Taoiseach hope to come to some form of agreement with the Unionists, parallel with the Anglo-Irish Agreement rather than an agreement that would replace it?
I do not think there is anything I can say very positively about those matters at this stage. The Deputy is as aware as I am of what has been taking place. At this stage we should just await developments. As the Deputy knows also, I have indicated my wish to hear at first hand from representatives of the Unionist tradition, their concerns and anxieties. I hope it will be possible for me to do so before very long.
A final supplementary from Deputy Kennedy.
There are reports in today's newspapers suggesting that the Taoiseach will be giving a position paper to the Unionists in the near future. Will the Taoiseach be able to give any indication to the House as to when he might do so?
I will give an undertaking to the House that as soon as I have anything of a positive or constructive nature to tell the House, I shall be glad to do so.
In such a submission to the Unionists — I know that matters are at present at a very delicate stage — could the Taoiseach tell the House whether he is thinking of working within the terms of the Anglo-Irish Agreement or whether he is prepared to work parallel with and outside it?
I have already said on a number of occasions that as the Unionists representatives, by and large, do not wish to acknowledge the workings of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, if we are to have any discussions with them these would have to be in some other context.
