asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the remarks made on Irish soil by the British Secretary of Defence, Mr. Heseltine, concerning Irish neutrality.
Written Answers. - Irish Neutrality.
316.
Following reports of Mr. Heseltine's comments during his visit to Northern Ireland my Department sought clarification of what had been said from the British Embassy at 9.00 a.m. on 5 May 1983. When this had been obtained I instructed our Ambassador in London, to make known our views on what Mr. Heseltine had said at a high level in the British Foreign Office.
The Ambassador met the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office during the afternoon of 5 May and pointed out that Mr. Heseltine's remarks had caused resentment on the part of public opinion here and that they were unhelpful and unwise in the context of Anglo-Irish relations. The Ambassador pointed out that friendly States do not normally criticise each other's national security or defence policies and that the fact that Mr. Heseltine had made his remarks during a visit to Northern Ireland would cause particular unease in Ireland.
I am satisfied that the British Government are fully aware of our view that the remarks of the British Secretary of State for Defence were objectionable in that they related to an issue which falls exclusively within Irish sovereignty. In this connection it is worth referring to Mr. Prior's remarks of 6 May during a television interview when he said that the British Government understands and respects Ireland's neutrality.
Questions Nos. 317 to 320, inclusive, postponed.