asked the Minister for External Affairs whether he is aware that the Northern Ireland Government has intimated its intention of cancelling residence permits held by citizens of Eire in Northern Ireland, and whether, in view of the fact that persons born in Northern Ireland are permitted to take up employment in Éire without the necessity of obtaining Governmental permission to do so, he will make representations with a view to permitting residents of Éire to retain their existing employment in Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Eire Citizens in Northern Ireland.
I understand that it is proposed to initiate legislation in the British Parliament which will empower the Government in the Six Counties to exclude men and women born in Ireland from residing in part of their own country. It is understood that the proposed legislation will follow the lines of the temporary legislation at present in force. That legislation was on a purely temporary basis and was enacted in 1942 by the British Parliament mainly as a matter of security on the grounds that it was imperative to control the movements of individuals to and from the Six Counties. It is important to note that it applied not only to Irish citizens born on this side of the Border but also to those born in the Six Counties who did not happen to be resident there at a specified date. Furthermore it was retrospective in its effect. All this was most objectionable to us and we made our position in regard to it clear at the time. The proposed new legislation has all the objectionable features of the war-time enactment but it has not even the excuse of military necessity. On the contrary, when the whole country is at peace, it is proposed to make a law which will violate the natural right of all Irishmen and women to live and work in any part of Ireland. The Government here was not consulted in regard to this proposal and, needless to say, did not assent to it.
It is a matter of great regret to me that the proposal has been brought forward. It is based on no better principle than that on which so many European peoples are being violently displaced. Our people keenly resent the implications of the proposal; it is an example of the expedients by which the policy of the unjust partition of the country has to be maintained.
Will the Taoiseach point out to the British Government at the earliest possible opportunity that during the past five years we have sent almost 200,000 of our people to Britain, a considerable addition to Britain's manpower resources during the war, and that, putting the matter on no higher level than the basis of gratitude, this is a most ungrateful method of reciprocating the help which Britain undoubtedly got by the fact that almost 200,000 of our citizens went to work in Britain's armament and industrial factories during the war? Will he also take an early opportunity of pointing out to the British Government that it is most unfair that the Six-County Government should be armed with powers to deport Éire citizens from the Six Counties when there is a free right of entry by citizens of the Six Counties to take up any type of employment they desire in the Twenty-Six Counties? Will the Taoiseach endeavour, by reliance on these and other arguments, to induce the British Government to modify the decision giving the Government of Northern Ireland powers which, if exercised, will operate very harshly on our citizens?
I can only tell the Deputy that I have made all the representations it is possible for me to make.
Will the Taoiseach make the only representation that matters, and that is that Irishmen have an inherent right to live in any part of their own country that they choose to live in without regard to any Government inside or outside this country? Will the Taoiseach repeat that representation without any of the adventitious observations about help given to Britain during the war, for I seem to remember a time when it was not popular to advocate help for Britain during the war?
It is popular now to send them home.
Quite apart from that, they have a right to live in their own country wherever they choose to live and I ask the Taoiseach to place that on record again, if not for the benefit of Britain, for the benefit of the world.
Is there not a similarity between the cases of our nationals in Northern Ireland and the cases of people here who experience delay in getting visas that have been released by the Department of Industry and Commerce to enable these people to go to England?
I do not understand the Deputy's question.
It is a separate question.
I have not endeavoured to import any acrimony into the debate.
It is not a debate. The Deputy has given it the wrong name though, perhaps, in the way it is developing it would be the right name.
I asked a question and if it has developed into a debate it is not my fault. Would the Taoiseach say whether it has been represented to the British Government that persons born in the Six Counties have a free right of entry to employment here and that, in view of that fact, it is obviously unfair that there should be any prohibition on the right of our citizens to take up employment in Britain apart from the consideration that they should be free to travel anywhere they like?
The British know that quite well.
Is it not true that the British Government hold that Éire born citizens are British subjects——
That does not arise.
——and that they have the right to go anywhere they like?
We have never admitted that they were British subjects. We made it quite clear, particularly from the time of our Nationality Act, that we did not accept that position.
This is the first time the Taoiseach has said so. I raised this matter in the House before, and I could get no information on it.
That is not so.
I was concerned with the inconvenience and delay caused by the Department of Industry and Commerce to large numbers of people who want to get across to Great Britain.
That is a separate question.
The only question is that we have the right to live in our own country.
It was on that I based my representations.
That is the only solid ground on which to base them.