asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has made a complaint to the United Nations Organisation of the threat to international peace caused by incursions by British troops into the territory of the Republic of Ireland; and, if so, what reply was received.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Incursions.
15.
No complaint has yet been made to the United Nations Organisation in regard to these matters. However, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations is kept fully informed of the situation so that appropriate action can be taken if the Government should find it necessary to seize the United Nations of the issue as a threat to international peace.
16.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will now publish the text of the protests made to the British Government concerning the unfriendly incursions by British military personnel into the territory and on to the vessels of this State; and the text of the British replies to such protests.
It is not customary and is not my intention to publish the texts of protests made to the British authorities in a number of matters; nor is it my intention to publish the texts of their replies.
I think the Minister will agree that the situation in the north of our country is not, thank God, a customary one and that on that account the rules which apply to what is customary should certainly not apply in this instance. Would the Minister say whether or not he has protested to the British Government that the tragedies, injury and inconvenience caused by the destruction of cross Border routes is too high a price to pay to placate Mr. John Taylor and persuade him to withdraw his resignation from the Stormont Government? Would the Minister also say whether or not he has drawn the attention of the British Government to the fact that the Border incidents have tended only to camouflage and deliberately tend only to camouflage the fact that the real cause of the Northern Ireland tragedy is inherent in the system itself and has nothing whatever to do with the passing and re-passing of people across the Border?
I think the seriousness of the situation is all the more reason for not engaging in disclosure of matters of protest which are not normally disclosed. I think the Deputy can rest assured that our strong opinions about the situation are clearly known to the British Government and have been made clearly known. The very seriousness of the situation there makes me think that continued picking on items like that for the purpose of making statements is not improving the situation.
If the British Government continue to ignore the protests and the good advice received by it from its own security people, would the Minister consider publishing the protests which have been made and the replies, if any, which have been received?
The Deputy will have to get down to serious consideration with his party to make a decision on policy about what they would recommend a nation to do in such a serious situation as he envisages. Certainly, I do not think it is a matter of just publishing.
I cannot understand the Minister's suggestion or advice. This is a national matter.
This is a very real and serious situation.
It is a very real one, yes.