andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether Paragraph 5 of the Aide Mémoire of 8th February 1949 addressed to the Government of the U.S.A. which lays down that while the Six Counties of Northern Ireland are occupied by British Forces any military alliance with, or commitment involving military action jointly with, Britain would be entirely repugnant and unacceptable to the Irish people, still represents the Government's attitude to NATO or any military grouping of which Britain is a member.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Government Attitude to NATO.
4.
I would refer the Deputies to my reply to a somewhat similar Question addressed to me in this House on the 14th of this month by Deputy Cosgrave to which I have nothing to add.
May I ask the Taoiseach if, in view of his stated approval on a number of occasions recently of NATO and the objectives of NATO, he will state whether it is the Government's intention, if invited, to join NATO?
That seems to me to be a different question, of which notice should be given.
No. The situation up to now has been that Ireland is precluded from joining NATO on account of Partition. In view of the altered views of the Taoiseach, as shown in his recent replies to the effect that he approves of NATO and that there is nothing in the NATO Agreement to complicate our position in regard to Partition, would he now state whether it is the Government's intention, if invited, to join NATO?
That does not arise on the question on the Order Paper.
Can we take it, therefore, that the Taoiseach approves but that he will not say it?
Would the Taoiseach say if the statement made by the Minister for External Affairs in this House on 17th May last still represents Government policy in this matter?
Without having any recollection whatever of the statement mentioned by the Deputy, I am sure that the Minister made no statement which was not in accordance with Government policy.
Would the Minister say whether there is any departure from the attitude taken by the Government in 1948 and agreed to by all Parties in the House with regard to NATO?
The aide mémoire stated that there was general agreement with the aims of the North Atlantic Treaty and if that is the position of all the Parties in the House, it certainly is the position of the Government.
On 17th May, 1961, the Minister for External Affairs stated in the House that the Government had no intention at that time of departing from the policy laid down by the Government in 1949.
But his colleague, Senator Gerald Boland, had a different view.