I want to ask the Taoiseach has he and his Government notwithstanding the leamh words used in this statement, abandoned as a means of contributing towards a solution of the Northern Ireland situation the concept of power sharing? I want to ask further, despite again what the Taoiseach has said, will his Government continue to encourage the British Government to work towards the establishment of a power sharing Executive in the North of Ireland? If the answer to both these questions is "yes", again I ask how, in the face of the remarks of a prominent Minister, can they pursue with any credibility this policy with the British Government? We all know that the British Government have means of exercising effective influence on the development of the situation in Northern Ireland. We know well that they are contributing hundreds of millions of pounds every year by direct financial subsidy, and in many other ways as well, and surely it is obvious to the Government and to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs that this was not the time to make a statement like that when that Minister knows that the British Government have influence, influence which I believe should be directed along the lines towards ensuring power sharing as a policy in the development of the situation in the North of Ireland to which the Taoiseach tells us both his Government and the British Government are committed.
We, too, on this side of the House, are committed and, as I said in a short statement after the Minister's speech, all parties here and all parties in Westminster are committed except, of course, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. He has now abandoned it. Here, again, I ask where is the reconciliation between this kind of statement and Government policy, if there is such a policy in existence? Was it not a most inappropriate time for the Minister to make these remarks, pre-judging, and adversely prejudicing, the outcome of the Convention even before it sat and, indeed, even before the preliminary sitting with the chairman of that Convention and the party leaders took place?
I might say in passing that the British Government have themselves expressed dissatisfaction with the remarks of the Spokesman of the British Opposition in relation to the outcome of this Convention and I might add that it was Mr. Airey Neave who said he did not agree with all the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs said but went only so far as to say that he could not share that Minister's pessimism. These were the remarks, simple and innocent enough remarks, in answer to questions that a British parliamentarian made dissociating himself from a statement made by a member of the Irish Government.
I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach has made some kind of statement to help clear up the position. Unfortunately he has made no reference whatever to the statement of the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and, in my opinion, and in the opinion of this party, he has made no attempt whatever to clear up the ambivalent approach that now seems to exist in this Coalition Government in relation to Northern Ireland matters. This is the Government over which he presides. Within two days of a statement of this nature he gives no indication whatever to what extent, if any, he disagrees with it, or gives no indication whatever to what extent, if any he will permit individual Ministers to make ambivalent statements of this nature. I hope never again will Northern Ireland policy be expressed by the Government in diverse tongues. This is the cost the country must pay for a coterie of people in power who have so much in opposition and who have so many diverse opinions and give expression to them.
However undesirable and even tolerable that statements, which are not in accordance with Government policy on social and economic matters, may be, I agree it is entirely intolerable that statements by such people as the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs should be let go without any dissociation in the remarks made by the Taoiseach when given a clear opportunity here in this House. I ask the Taoiseach in future to ensure that no matter how many voices might enunciate so-called Government policy that only he will tell the people what Government policy is in relation to this very delicate national political problem and that that policy will be followed.
I said the Minister's remarks were inopportune. In the absence of the Taoiseach yesterday at an official function and in the absence abroad of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach made a covering up statement. He made the kind of statement through which one could read: "tut tut, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs" but he went further today. He said he would not be as positive or as pessimistic as Deputy Cruise-O'Brien in foreclosing on the manoeuvres of political parties in the Convention. I take it he used the word "manoeuvres" in the ordinary political sense and without any sense of decrying the efforts that will be made to produce a workable executive. He went on further to say that the Minister went even further than he need have gone, that he need not have gone as far as he did.
I believe there were two factors that adversely affected the results of the Convention election for the moderate opinion in the North. One was the boycott and the intimidation by the Provos and the other was the so-called low profile of this Government in relation to the Northern situation. We have been told of the virtues of this low profile, that the people in the North could solve their problems themselves but there is an element in the North that needs some support and an expression of that support from the people down here.
That was not given. The net result was that in at least two areas seats were lost. One which springs to mind immediately is South Armagh where a very eminent member of the SDLP, Paddy O'Hanlon, lost his seat. These losses were due to these factors.
This party know the delicacy of the situation. We also know where we stand and where we have always stood in relation to the North of Ireland. We have been restrained over the past few weeks in the run-up to this Convention election. We have been restrained following the results of it. We have been hopeful that in one way or another the kind of agreed policy between the parties in this House, between the British and Irish Governments, in relation to the power sharing objective, would somehow or other work. I believe, with the kind of statements made by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, he has greatly prejudiced that situation and has set back the attainment of the aspirations of the great majority of the Irish people.
