asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress, if any, made regarding the problems created by the presence of sections of the British Army on the GAA grounds at Crossmaglen, County Armagh and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Armagh GAA Grounds
16.
The grounds of the local GAA club at Crossmaglen, County Armagh are next to the combined RUC station and Army base and this has been a source of tension and of difficulty since the beginning of the present period of violence in Northern Ireland. In July 1974 the British authorities compulsorily acquired part of the GAA grounds and in 1976 further land was requisitioned, some of it belonging to the GAA.
At present, the British authorities are engaged on a building programme on the property under their control, which includes some of the land requisitioned from the GAA. In particular, they are building a perimeter wall. The construction of this wall has been the subject of objections from the GAA and, in addition, the GAA have objected to the dumping of considerable quantities of rubble from the British Army base on to the ground between the GAA playing field and club changing-rooms. Finally, the GAA have objected on many occasions over the years to the harassment of players in particular by helicopters flying low over the field while play was in progress.
The problems arising for the GAA in Crossmaglen have been raised by the Government with the British authorities at all levels, frequently and with the utmost vigour. Indeed, I myself raised the matter again with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State at my meeting with him on 14 February.
In reply to the representations made by the Government over the years, the British authorities have informed me of their intention to relocate within the area under their control the helicopter landing pad which is the principal means of communication for the Crossmaglen British Army base. As a consequence of the relocation of the helicopter landing pad and other modifications, the British authorities have undertaken that, with effect from the date of the completion of their building programme, helicopters would no longer land on the GAA playing field, thus avoiding damage to the playing surface, which has been a major source of contention over the years.
The British authorities have also sought to replace the existing overhead high tension cables with underground cables, in order to facilitate an approach to the base by helicopters in such a way as to minimise the danger of interference with matches. However, the GAA and the British authorities have been unable to agree on the relaying of the cables under the GAA property, as a consequence of which the British authorities indicate that they have been able only partially to execute this proposal.
At our meeting in London on 14 February, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State informed me that a local contractor had been commissioned to remove from the area behind the goal the remainder of the rubble that had been dumped there. This area, which forms the entrance to the grounds, has also been the subject of complaint for many years because of the damage caused by heavy duty British Army vehicles crossing it to enter the base. The British authorities are now arranging to have this area resurfaced and have undertaken that, again with effect from the completion of the building programme at the base, use will be made of this area for access to the base only in the most exceptional circumstances.
The British authorities have also suggested that it is open to the GAA to seek compensation for any damage they have suffered in Crossmaglen. They have also suggested that inconvenience to the GAA could be minimised if it were possible for the GAA to give to the British authorities some advance notice of fixtures at the ground.
The response given by the British authorities to my representations clearly does not dispose of all the difficulties of the GAA in Crossmaglen. In particular, most of the land requisitioned from the GAA around the ground in 1974 and 1976 has not yet been returned to them and, indeed, some of it will be enclosed behind the base perimeter wall at present nearing completion. In addition, I understand that there are fears that the wall itself may interfere with play. The Northern Ireland Secretary of State has conveyed to me that the land requisitioned will be returned to the GAA as soon as the security situation allows and that it will be restored to its former condition. I shall, of course, continue to have the situation in Crossmaglen monitored and to make representations to the British authorities as appropriate in the light of the developing situation.