asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make urgent representations to the United Nations and to the British Foreign Secretary concerning the Irish Government's policy on the proposed sale of British arms to South Africa and the danger to world peace of such a decision by Britain.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Arms Sale.
7.
The Government support the resolutions of the Security Council which call upon all State to desist from supplying arms or ammunition to South Africa. The Government's policy in support of these resolutions has been announced publicly on a number of occasions and has also been notified to the United Nations. Our policy in this matter is therefore well known to all concerned.
The Minister has been asked to make representations directly to the British Foreign Secretary. Is he aware of the very grave concern and the very bitter resentment among the millions of citizens of the African States over this further sale of arms by the British Government? It is not just enough to go to the United Nations and make a general expression of disapproval. I would ask the Minister to convey this to the British Foreign Secretary.
The Deputy can be assured that the British Government are well aware of our policy on——
On arms.
——this matter as well as of the Security Council's.
That was an unfortunate choice of word.
(Interruptions.)
I have seen no official statement from the British Government but only press speculation that would give any substance to the Deputy's worries.
The Conservative Party and the British Prime Minister have specifically indicated that it is the intention to sell such arms and it is generally accepted that a decision on the matter is imminent.
We cannot have a debate on this question.
It is necessary that representations be made directly. You are not that afraid of them.
I know we all have very definite opinions on this but we are not running other countries.
I am not suggesting that.
(Interruptions.)
We make sure that other countries know our policy. The Deputy should know the limitations——
You do not even run Donegal.
(Interruptions.)
Now, redshirt.
Would the Minister agree that conveying such an expression of abhorrence to the British Foreign Secretary is the minimum expression of support which the citizens of the African States might be entitled to expect?
We should have a debate here some time about the strange notion in the Labour benches that we are telling the whole world how to live. We tell them what we think and——
The Minister went to Brussels last week.
I did and we told them our policies. The Deputy should just sit down and think. We are not running other countries; we are telling other countries our policies and the British Government are quite well aware of our policy on this matter.
We wanted a debate on the Six Counties and your Taoiseach would not allow it.
A debate on what?
A debate on the Six Counties. The Minister remembers those Six Counties?
We had a debate. We had a debate some weeks ago and the Deputy contributed nothing at all.
We are not going to allow him to skulk off to Cork without a debate.
There is no skulking off to Cork. We had a debate here and the Deputy made no contribution at all.
(Interruptions.)
This is the Parliament of the people.
A Deputy
When did the Minister discover that?
Would Deputies allow questions to continue? There are 95 Questions to be dealt with.
Christopher Columbus discovered the new world and the Minister for Transport and Power has discovered that this is the Parliament of the people.