I do not see anything specific in it; it is linked with the British Prime Minister's meeting.
My meeting with the SDLP on 24 February, at which I was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy David Andrews, provided an opportunity to obtain, at first hand, their assessment of the prospects for political progress in relation to Northern Ireland and to outline the Government's approach as set out by me in the House recently. We also discussed North/South economic co-operation.
At our meeting in London on 26 February, the British Prime Minister and I discussed a range of bilateral matters, European Community affairs, and other issues of common interest to our countries.
On Northern Ireland, we were in total agreement on the need to take forward political dialogue in the three-stranded talks and we pledged the support of our Governments for this process. I conveyed to the Prime Minister my Government's appreciation of his initiative in meeting in Downing Street, for the first time since 1976, the leaders of the four main constitutional political parties in Northern Ireland and our welcome for the agreement he reached with those leaders under which they would meet to discuss obstacles in the way of further political dialogue. Deputies will be aware that, in furtherance of their agreement with the Prime Minister, the party leaders met last Friday and indicated that they see no obstacle to the resumption of talks as soon as possible. The Government very much welcome this propitious development.
The Prime Minister and I also discussed the recent violence in Northern Ireland and its appalling toll of death, bereavement and destruction. We reaffirmed our determination to work together, through co-operation in all areas, including security, so that those who are engaged in terrorist activities are fully dealt with under the law, and that terrorism does not succeed.
We also affirmed our joint commitment to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, and agreed that it would continue to be implemented in full unless it is transcended by new and better arrangements.
We continued our discussions at a working dinner. The Prime Minister was accompanied at this dinner by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Peter Brooke, and the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, Dr. Brian Mawhinney, MD, and the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr. Tristan Gasrel-Jones, MP I was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Justice, Deputy Pádraig Flynn. Our discussions covered European Community and international issues, as well as further consideration of Northern Ireland matters.
I outlined to the Prime Minister the importance Ireland attaches to the Maastricht Treaty and our initial appreciation of the Commission proposals for the Delors package mark II. I also set out for him our concerns in relation to the agriculture aspects of the GATT negotiations and as regards the Commission's proposals on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The British side conveyed their views on Delors mark II and on the likely priorities of the UK's Presidency of the Community in the second half of this year.
The Prime Minister and I agreed to remain in touch and to continue the understanding about meetings at least twice yearly. These meetings will normally alternate between Dublin and London.
While in London I also had a very useful meeting with the Leader of the British Labour Party, Mr. Neil Kinnock, MP, who was accompanied by his Deputy, Mr. Roy Hattersley and the party's spokesman on Northern Ireland, Mr. Kevin McNamara. I outlined the Government's approach to the Northern Ireland question and our hopes that political dialogue would commence as soon as possible. We also touched on EC concerns.
My meeting with the Prime Minister provided an early opportunity for me to renew my acquaintance with Mr. Major. We have the shared objective of seeing that yet another generation is not afflicted with a repetition of the suffering and deprivation of the past 22 years of violence. I look forward to working with the Prime Minister to that end and achieving progress through the political process — and the peace and reconciliation desired by the vast majority of the people in these islands.