Deputy Andrew Boylan gave me notice of his intention to raise the announcement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Peter Brooke, that he intends closing four manned crossing points on the Fermanagh-Cavan Border during the hours of darkness.
Adjournment Debate. - Border Crossings.
Thank you for the opportunity to raise this serious matter at such short notice. I also thank the Minister of State for coming here to reply. The announcement by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Mr. Peter Brooke, that he intends to close four manned checkpoints on the Cavan-Monaghan-Fermanagh Border after the hours of darkness will have serious implications for the local community. Business people, farmers with land on both sides of the Border and people in employment will find it impossible to return home before the manned crossings are closed. This will create serious problems for normal cross-Border traffic.
I believe that in acting in this manner Mr. Brooke is playing into the hands of the paramilitaries as he will be creating a siege mentality and causing strife between the communities North and South. This is exactly what the terrorists are seeking to achieve.
Farmers with land on both sides of the Border need to tend their cattle or sheep at night, especially in the late winter or early spring and they will not be able to reach them. Offices generally close at 5 o'clock and darkness can fall as early as 4 p.m. and people who work in these offices will not be able to get home from work. This is not acceptable. Many students travel to third level institutions in Enniskillen and Coleraine. Their travel will be prohibited by these regulations. Many more of them look forward to coming home on Friday afternoon to spend the weekend. This will not be possible. Mr. Brooke is making a major mistake.
I do not condone the activities of the paramilitaries in that region. Every right thinking person condemns them. I say clearly and categorically that we must all stand up and be counted in the face of what is happening in the Border region. I would draw the attention of the House to the recent outrage involving good neighbours and friends of mine, the North family. Ken North, his wife and their son Peter were taken from their home and beaten. Their son's legs were almost broken and he was then placed in a van with a proxy bomb of over 1,000 lbs. of explosives, which he was made to drive to a checkpoint. He was able to jump from the van and shout a warning so that people could get away. His courage saved the lives of the unfortunate soldiers and civilians who were queueing to cross the checkpoint. The detonator went off but, fortunately, the bomb did not explode. He showed remarkable courage. I congratulate the North family. It is the third occasion on which this family have been singled out for this activity.
Mr. Brooke in these proposals is playing into the hands of the paramilitaries. They are achieving what they set out to achieve. These people are not interested in a united Ireland and anybody who claims that they are is fooling himself. They want strife to continue, and they are succeeding. That will give them an opportunity and a reason for their bank robberies and various other activities to fund their godfathers, who are in control of these possibly unfortunate young people caught in this trap.
I suggest that there should be a review of policy on all Border crossings. I do not think the checkpoints are having the desired effect. If they were, there should be no terrorism in Northern Ireland. The minor roads have been blown up and there is no other access north or south except through these crossings. I would ask the Minister to take particular notice of Aughalane Bridge, a very important crossing where there is not even a manned checkpoint. The bridge was blown up by the British authorities many years ago and despite repeated requests to have it reopened we have failed.
We cannot accept this proposal, which would have serious implications. I am asking the Minister to take up the matter with the Secretary of State, to urge him to reconsider his proposal and if necessary to raise the matter at the Anglo-Irish Conference. We would welcome that initiative and the Minister would have the support of people north and south of the Border.
I am glad this matter has been raised here and I welcome the opportunity to reply. I have listened to Deputy Boylan's comments and I have noted his concerns, particularly with regard to those who have to travel across the Border in connection with work or business or to attend third level institutions. I am fully aware of the effect which the decision by the British authorities will have on the economic and social life of people living in Border areas. Deputy Boylan's question originally referred to the Fermanagh-Cavan areas, but that position has been clarified. A similar position obtains in Monaghan, a matter which has been raised by Deputy Leonard, whose parish is split in two by what has happened.
We have been in close contact with the British authorities about this development through the Anglo-Irish Secretariat in Belfast, and I am at present examining all its implications. From the information to hand, it appears that barriers will be placed at the checkpoints referred to by the Deputy after the hours of darkness, but that there will be facilities which can serve in case of emergencies requiring immediate passage. I also understand, from inquiries made through the secretariat, that there will be some flexibility in regard to what constitutes daylight hours and that, for example, a known vehicle will not be prevented from crossing at dusk.
I fully sympathise with the points made by Deputy Boylan and his concern about the situation of people living on one side of the Border and working on the other. The difficulties as a result of the installation of these barriers will be especially acute during the coming weeks and months when, as the Deputy said, darkness can fall as early as 4 p.m. or 4.30 p.m. I assure Deputy Boylan that we will do all in our power to try to alleviate the situation of those people in particular since their livelihood is at stake, and we will pursue this matter through the appropriate channels.
I, like Deputy Boylan, fully appreciate the need for appropriate security measures, particularly in the wake of recent IRA proxy bomb attacks. I am sure that the House will join with me and Deputy Boylan in unreservedly condemning these attacks and the coldblooded manner in which civilians have been used to carry them out. At the same time I am concerned that these additional measures could have serious social and economic consequences for Border communities, particularly as the Christmas season approaches and people would wish to visit their relatives on either side of the Border. I am particularly conscious of the disruption caused to the daily lives of those living in Border areas by checkpoints and closed roads. In this regard, the mechanism of the Anglo-Irish Agreement has been fully used to ensure that the British authorities are aware of the views of local communities and Deputies on these matters.
I can assure Deputy Boylan, Deputy Leonard and all the other public representatives from both sides of the Border who have raised this matter that the closure of these crossing points during the hours of darkness, as well as the question of closed cross-Border roads generally, will be actively pursued through the Anglo-Irish Conference procedure with a view in particular to ensuring that the inconvenience caused to local communities is kept to a minimum.