asked the Minister for External Affairs whether any arrangements have been made for regular consultation with the newlyopened Biafra office in Dublin; and whether further consideration will be given to the request for diplomatic recognition of Biafra.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recognition of Biafra.
7.
I am not aware that any office of the kind mentioned in the first part of the question has been opened in Dublin. With regard to the second part of the question, the answer is in the negative.
Is it not correct to say that there is some office open in Dublin dealing specifically with Biafran problems?
There is not. It was mentioned, I understand, in public, either through the press or on a television programme, by one of the two representatives of Colonel Ojukwu who came to Dublin recently, as being a possibility, but nothing has developed.
It is possibly too late for diplomatic recognition to be of any use, seeing that military encirclement is practically complete in the Biafran war, but is the Taoiseach satisfied that nothing useful can be done to restore peace?
Any action open to us has been taken. We have always encouraged peaceful negotiation with a view to peaceful settlement of this issue and that is the only method that can have any permanent value.