Vol. 441 No. 6
18 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has satisfied himself that adequate use has been made of the Anglo-Irish Agreement to put forward proposals to protect and enhance the Nationalist identity within Northern Ireland; and the proposals, if any, the Government has made in this regard.
As I stated in my reply to the Deputy's question on 2 March, the Government has consistently emphasised within the framework of the Anglo-Irish Agreement the importance of ensuring that the rights and identities of the two traditions in Northern Ireland are fully respected. We have availed fully of the mechanism of the agreement to promote this objective in every way open to us. I indicated on that occasion that the question of additional measures in this area had been considered by the Conference at its meeting on 28 January, and that the issue remained on the Conference agenda.
The Conference reviewed developments at its meeting on 10 March, when it considered the progress of working groups set up to examine measures to recognise and accommodate the identity of the two traditions in Northern Ireland, in legal, social and cultural matters, including the Irish language. It is intended that the Conference will continue to monitor progress in this area. I will be reverting to the issue at future meetings.
