Brendan Howlin
Question:8 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of his meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Peter Mandelson. [13070/00]
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Northern Ireland Issues.
Brendan Howlin
Question:73 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to make a statement on his discussions with the political parties in Northern Ireland; if he will give his assessment on the prospects of political progress in the light of these meetings. [13071/00]
Ivor Callely
Question:94 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the current developments for the restoration of the Northern Ireland inclusive Executive. [13141/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 73 and 94 together.
As Deputies will be aware, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on numerous occasions over the past number of weeks. These meetings, together with the other extensive contacts which have taken place between the governments and the parties, resulted in the initiative announced by the governments on 5 May in which we expressed our belief that the remaining steps necessary to secure full implementation of the Agreement can be achieved by June 2001.
The two governments in their statement on 5 May stated that, subject to a positive response to their initiative, the British Government will bring forward the necessary order to enable the Assembly and Executive to be restored by 22 May. The parties are now studying these pro posals. For our part, we stand ready to offer whatever clarification the parties consider helpful.
Was a satisfactory resolution achieved at any of the recent meetings in relation to the complaint made by Ireland to the monitoring of communications by MI5?
I do not have any information as to whether that matter was raised. I missed two or three of the most recent meetings as I was abroad. Recent meetings have been confined exclusively to dealing with the resolution of our difficulties in regard to the restoration of the Executive in Northern Ireland.
When is the next meeting due to be held and will there be a joint response to the current position in regard to the anticipated Ulster Unionist Council's discussion of the IRA statement?
Intensive consultations are ongoing in regard to preparations for the Ulster Unionist Council meeting. There are some outstanding issues following on the successful resolution of the main obstacle to progress, namely the issue of the disarmament of illegal weapons. That has been substantively resolved. The two Governments are working intensively to resolve the outstanding issues and telephone and other conversations with the parties and between the Governments are ongoing.
Did the Government protest to the British Government about the leaking of the document regarding the meeting between the Secretary of State Mr. Mandelson and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and, if so, what form did that protest take? Second, did the Secretary of State and the Minister discuss the issue of "the disappeared" and the recent statements of the Victims Commissioner in regard to the location of bodies? Does the Minister expect that progress will be made on that matter in the near future?
The Deputy may be aware that we do not comment on leaked documents which purport to be reports of conversations between ministers. Clearly, the only motivation behind the leak was to disrupt or subvert the work of the Governments at the time which, happily, did not succeed.
There is nothing in my supplementary briefings on the matter of "the disappeared" which is probably the subject of a separate question.
Does the Minister agree with the view which I have put forward for several years that the issue of policing is the potential Achilles' heel of any settlement in the North and that the acid test of a durable settlement will be the capacity of the police service to attract young men and women from Unionist and Nationalist backgrounds into its ranks who will not feel any less Unionist or Nationalist by being policemen and policewomen? Does the Minister agree that being Protestant and Catholic is not sufficient and that the young people should represent their traditions and come from areas where the attachments about which I spoke are strongly felt? In those circumstances, does the Minister feel that the wholehearted and speedy implementation of the recommendations of the Patten report is a prerequisite and that without a police service which is acceptable to both traditions in the North and which will be fully supported by adherents of both traditions—
There is a one minute limit on supplementary questions.
Does she agree that in those circumstances the new institutional and constitutional arrangements will almost inevitably fail?
I agree with the Deputy that the formation of a new start to policing, namely the establishment of a police service in Northern Ireland which would gain the allegiance and participation of both sections of the community was a fundamental requirement of the Good Friday Agreement. It was such a basic, essential and sensitive issue that the parties to the Agreement established an independent commission to draw up proposals for reform. Those proposals have been accepted by the Governments and the Secretary of State has indicated that they will be implemented in full. We look forward to those reforms being legislated for.
I also agree with the Deputy that all of the work we have done in dealing with the problematic issue of paramilitary weapons could be set at nought if the issue of policing is reopened. It is very important that progress would be achieved, as envisaged under the Agreement, to create a police service which will be truly representative of the people of Northern Ireland. If that fundamental outcome is not achieved, all the reforms in the world will be useless. The police service must be an organisation which will attract the participation of young Nationalists in large numbers as soon as possible.
Would the Minister agree that for understandable historical reasons, a community in the North has had a negative attitude to the State and its institutions for many generations and that such an attitude will not be transformed overnight? That is why it is essential that the Patten recommendations be fully implemented and that young men and women from both sections of the community in Northern Ireland would be represented in the police service. I refer particularly to people who join the Garda and those from the Nationalist community who would be members of the GAA. It will be sufficiently difficult to sell any new police service without the non-implementation of the Patten recommendations.
The Government has been resolute in its view that the full implementation of the Patten proposals is fundamental if the purpose of reforming the RUC is to be achieved. The only true test of that will be whether young Nationalists or Catholics throughout Northern Ireland will join the new police service. It is very important when speaking about constitutional issues to remember that the Good Friday Agreement, while confirming the principle of consent, also required that the power of whichever Government was sovereign would be exercised with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all of the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions. In other words, it is essential that there would be parity of esteem and just and equal treatment of the identity, ethos and aspirations of both communities. I agree with Deputy Currie's knowledge and understanding of the sensitivities of this issue within the Nationalist community, in particular, and that it is essential that the Patten proposals are fully implemented.
I raised the issue of the RUC in the course of the first question and do not wish to revisit it now. In regard to the creation of a better understanding between the Unionist and Nationalist community in Northern Ireland and between Nationalists and Unionists on the island as a whole, does the Minister agree that the extension of the reception of RTE and TG4 in Northern Ireland would be very beneficial? Given that we receive UTV and BBC Northern Ireland here, we are probably better informed about issues of concern to Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland than they are about issues of concern to us or about everyday happenings in the Republic. Will the Minister confirm that the matter of extending RTE, TG4 and TV3 services into Northern Ireland is on the agenda and has been discussed?
This matter was included in the joint statement of the two Governments on 5 May. Technical discussions on the steps required to further extend TG4 reception in Northern Ireland will continue and other measures, including a two year Irish language television and film production pilot scheme due to start by April 2001, will also be taken.