asked the Taoiseach the response, if any, he has received to his invitations to the Unionist parties in Northern Ireland to (a) general discussions on political issues affecting Northern Ireland and (b) discussions on the implications of the EC single market for this country and for Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Invitations to Unionist Parties in Northern Ireland.
1.
As I have already indicated, I will be glad to inform the House as soon as I have anything further to report on this matter.
I take it the Taoiseach is saying that apart from the public responses, as reported in the media, the Taoiseach has had no other contact from these parties.
Not recently.
Would the Taoiseach not agree then that recent events would indicate that he should take a more active part in this matter? For example, is the Taoiseach not aware that Mr. Molyneaux said recently he does not believe it would be proper for parties to talk behind the backs of the Governments — to use his own phrase — but that the Governments should speak about further progress and then that the parties should take it up from there? Would the Taoiseach not agree that that is a very clear signal to him and provides him with a very clear opening for adopting an active posture in relation to devolution rather than the purely passive posture he has adopted up to now?
I would like to think so but I do not think that is actually the position.
Is the Taoiseach unaware of the fact that as recently as last Saturday, the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland delivered himself again of the opinion that devolution is the only way forward? Would the Taoiseach not further agree that this Government's total inaction in relation to devolution — this goes for the previous Government, too, so far as we can see — is in a very real sense giving aid, comfort, sustenance and support to the integrationist view in Northern Ireland thereby selling out the very national objective which the Taoiseach himself claims to adhere to?
No, I do not agree at all. I will put it more politely. I think the Deputy and myself are reading different messages into both those statements.
Deputy Dukes rose.
Question No. 2 please. Let us have finality in this question. I want to deal with other questions also.
I want to ask a final supplementary.
Thank you Deputy, you may proceed.
I would like to ask the Taoiseach, Sir, just what he is reading into these things? What is he reading into the fact that neither of the Unionist parties, by his own admission, have contacted him to take up his invitation and what is the Taoiseach reading into the fact that by a very narrow squeak last weekend the Ulster Unionist Party avoided passing a resolution calling for integration? What does the Taoiseach make of the fact that if we continue as we are going now with utter stasis from the Government here we will most certainly see the emergence of a very strong integrationist trend in Northern Ireland?
The Anglo-Irish Agreement itself specifically puts any proposals for devolution in the context of cross-community support. My interpretation of the situation at the moment is that such cross-community support is not there.
You are doing nothing to help it.
That is not so.
Question No. 2 please.
The Taoiseach is paranoid as a result of his own rhetoric.