I intended this matter to be the subject of a Private Notice Question but that was not possible. In the last four or five days I understand that the British authorities are now changing direction and appreciate the pressures which will be put on people on both sides of the Derry-Donegal Border exiting and entering Northern Ireland and the Republic.
I should explain to the House that there are three crossing points between Derry City and County Donegal, the Culmore Road leading to Muff, Moville, the Buncrana Road at Bridgend and the Letterkenny Road which serves the eastern part of the county. Two of those check-points are closed and all the traffic has to go through the Buncrana Road, which is already busy, putting pressure on that check-point at particular times of the day when people are going to and from work. It is a great inconvenience and totally unnecessary. They suggest that traffic should use the Lifford Road-Strabane crossing but that is not convenient for many people.
The explanation the British give is that they must close the check-points to carry out major developments. However, these developments are warlike creatures and a vote of no confidence in the security forces this side of the Border. They are viewed by local people as implying that the South is not serious about security and that there is a lack of co-operation between the security forces on both sides of the Border. I thought long and seriously about this and I came to the conclusion that what the British army are doing along the Border is nothing short of creating targets for the IRA to bomb. When the IRA use a bomb to destroy one of these intimidating monstrosities they will kill human beings. The people in London who have taken a decision to construct these monstrosities along our Border will be guilty if British soldiers lose their lives. The IRA are looking for challenges and in this case there is a challenge to put a bomb in a vehicle and blow these structures to bits. It is ludicrous and I know the Minister for Foreign Affairs agrees. Indeed, both communities along the Border agree it is ludicrous.
Now that these intimidating, warlike monstrosities have been constructed, soldiers on each side are checking lorries to ensure that they are not carrying a bomb which would blow the place to bits. If there is a bomb on board the soldiers will not stop the vehicle getting through. The authorities seem to be obsessed with protecting these monstrosities and ensuring that the IRA do not plant a bomb. However, they are losing sight of the fact that that is not where the trouble is in Northern Ireland. They are suggesting that all the trouble in Northern Ireland emanates from the Republic but anyone with the slightest intelligence knows that is not the case. No one can hold anyone south of the Border responsible for the murders being carried out in Belfast at present. It is a wrong reading of the situation for people in London to decide security matters in Northern Ireland.
I talk to the young policemen and soldiers as I pass through Northern Ireland and some of them are very forthcoming. One of them said to me that if the matter was not so serious it would be a major joke. Sheds were built to accommodate large vehicles or buses but now they are afraid to let them into the sheds in case one of them has a bomb on board and will blow the place to smithereens; it is absurd.
I do not know why this matter should be dealt with by a Minister for Foreign Affairs and I have said this many times before in speeches on Northern Ireland. It should be the responsibility of a Minister with another portfolio, perhaps a spokesman on Northern Ireland or something of that kind. I am not saying that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Andrews, is not capable of handling it, I have the greatest respect for him and every confidence in him. I admire him but the portfolio of Minister for Foreign Affairs is not the right one to be dealing with something which concerns the people of Derry and Donegal, Tyrone and Fermanagh.
Somewhere, sanity must prevail and if the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Sir Patrick Mayhew, and his assistant, Mr. Mates, have any sense they will immediately start to dismantle these constructions because they merely create a target for people to be killed by the IRA.