Vol. 436 No. 8
1 Mr. Deasy asked the Taoiseach if he has any plans to pay a series of official visits to Central Eastern European countries, which were formerly run by Communist regimes, and where there is tremendous goodwill towards Ireland, and also a magnitude of new business contacts and opportunities.
The Government fully recognises the importance of systematic contacts as a means of developing mutually beneficial relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Since taking office, I have had very useful bilateral meetings with the Heads of State or Government of the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Lithuania and Estonia. I would also point out that both the Tánaiste and the Minister for Tourism and Trade have in the recent past paid visits to countries in Central and Eastern Europe. All these contacts are designed to further political and economic links between Ireland and these countries.
The Deputy can be assured that the Government intends to actively continue the forging of new and improved links with the countries in question. I will play a full part in this process both by way of official visits as appropriate and through bilateral contact when suitable opportunities present themselves.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply; he might have referred also to the President's official visit to Hungary in the past few weeks. There is tremendous goodwill towards Ireland in Eastern Europe. As a member of the Council of Europe I visited a number of those countries and an official visit by the Taoiseach to some of them would be very beneficial. Our fellow members of the European Union, particularly the Germans, the French and the British, avail of every opportunity to promote trade for the future. We need representation at the highest level, for example, we should expand our diplomatic corps.
I accept the Minister has a busy schedule at present, particularly in regard to the Northern Ireland talks, but I would like to make an observation in that regard. A surplus of arms is readily available in Eastern European countries at very little cost to paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, and that poses a tremendous danger to future peace.
The Deputy is raising extraneous matter. The Deputy's question relates to official visits by the Taoiseach to Central and Eastern European countries.
I take your point, Sir. In conclusion, I ask the Taoiseach to make a special effort to visit those countries and impress on him the necessity to ensure that there is not a flow of surplus arms or war equipment to Northern Ireland because of the need for hard currency in such countries.
I assure the Deputy I will avail of ever possible opportunity to further economic links between Ireland and the countries he mentionied. The Minister for Tourism and Trade, Deputy McCreevy, has visited a number of such countries already and has plans to visit others. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Poland and Hungary this year and other visits are planned to Central and Eastern Europe, including the Russian Federation. A visit was arranged to Hungary but was postponed at their request. I also envisage a programme of visits here by my counterparts. Indeed, at the summit of European states held in Vienna recently I met the head of the Czech Republic and invited him to visit Ireland. The Deputy can rest assured that no effort will be spared in developing closer links with Central and Eastern European countries. We will always take the opportunity to point out to countries where there is a surplus of arms that it is undesirable to supply them to Northern Ireland because of the uses to which they will be put.
