Brendan McGahon
Question:9 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will propose the use of a United Nations peace-keeping force for service in Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Northern Ireland Security.
While recognising the valuable role played by UN peace-keeping forces in various situations of conflict around the world, the Government are not persuaded that the deployment of a UN peace-keeping force in Northern Ireland would be a practical proposition in present circumstances.
Given the level of communal strife in Northern Ireland and the success of the UN peace-keeping force in Yugoslavia, would the Minister not consider that this question should be put to the Secretariat of the Anglo-Irish tier after the British election?
I want to put the matter into perspective. The Deputy's idea is not a particularly bad one, but the deployment of a United Nations force in Northern Ireland would, of course, require, first, the agreement of the United Nations, including that of the United Kingdom as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Second, the situation in Northern Ireland would call for a clear and well defined role for such a force which could not be expected either to impose a solution from outside or to act as an internal police force. The Government believe that progress in relation to Northern Ireland can best be achieved through pursuing the process of political dialogue, to which all the constitutional parties in Northern Ireland are committed.
Does the Minister agree that the use of UN peace-keeping forces in the North, and perhaps the withdrawal of British forces, would remove the suggestion that British forces very often favour the Unionist majority in that area? Given the number of deaths which have occurred in the North of Ireland in the past 23 years, would he not consider that this proposal should be put to the British Government?
Certainly I share the Deputy's view in relation to the carnage in Northern Ireland. Like him and his colleagues I condemn unreservedly the path of violence towards the achievement of political aims. The Government consider the best road to progress in Northern Ireland is through the process of political dialogue including, we would hope, new political structures which can be agreed by all. It will be a matter for the participants in that dialogue to agree on how any such structures should be supported or guaranteed. This could obviously involve outside agencies such as the United Nations — as the Deputy mentioned — or the EC. As the Deputy will appreciate, I would not wish to anticipate the outcome of such discussions at this stage.
Does the Minister agree that the path to peace in the North of Ireland through democratic means and through dialogue is taking a very long time, 23 years, in which almost 4,000 people have been lowered into their graves? Does he not think, given the tremendous success that has been achieved in Yugoslavia, the introduction of this peace-keeping force might indeed be welcomed by the British Government if put to them?
I agree the United Nations approach in Yugoslavia appears to be reaching a successful conclusion and that there will be peace there sooner rather than later. I share Deputy McGahon's sense of frustration and anger at the persistence and the futility of violence in Northern Ireland, but we need to strengthen our efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability. My own belief is that the best way to achieve these objectives would be through the working structures of the Anglo-Irish Agreement and through imaginative and determined efforts to reach agreement in the round table talks process. All I would ask is that the Deputy allow the Anglo-Irish Agreement to proceed apace, to give it an opportunity to continue to work after the British general election. I do not wish to rule out or diminish the Deputy's suggestion in relation to the United Nations, but I would see that as being a long way down the road.