The question was, of course, addressed to the Taoiseach and I have no alternative but to accept the transfer to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. My question asks the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the steps the Government have taken to convey their objection to the British Government to the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh last week to Drumadd Barracks, County Armagh; whether any further response has been made by the British Government in addition to the unacceptable statement of last Saturday; and what further action will now be taken in view of the serious implications of this visit. I should like to point out that my question was put down before, and may have been responsible for, the further reply from the British Government today.
Private Notice Questions. - Duke of Edinburgh's Visit to Northern Ireland.
The question is now addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The position of the Government on the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Drumadd Barracks was conveyed to the British authorities at ministerial and official levels on February 3 and 4 and earlier today. The Government are satisfied that the British authorities are fully aware of the Government's view.
A message on behalf of the British Government was delivered orally to the Department of Foreign Affairs at official level this morning which confirmed the statement issued on Saturday last by the British authorities and which stated that while the British Government regretted the controversy which the visit had created, they had no choice but to respond in the terms used in their public statement.
It is obvious that there is a problem of mutual comprehension as between ourselves and the British surrounding this incident.
Will the Minister agree with me that it was both insensitive and provocative for the Duke of Edinburgh to visit, only one month after the British Prime Minister's controversial visit, a British army barracks where eight members of the UDR have been charged recently with sectarian murder?
The Deputy will be aware that the Government conveyed the view to the British authorities that they felt the visit in question was insensitive.
Will the Minister agree that this kind of visit by a member of the British Royal Family has major security as well as political implications, that it should not have taken place and that the Irish Government are perfectly entitled to express an opinion about it and, in fact, to protest against its taking place?
The answer to the two parts of that question are quite obvious because the Government did convey their views on this to the British authorities.
Will the Minister affirm in the House that the Irish Government are fully entitled to object to visits of this kind at present or at any time in the future?
The Deputy may take it that if the Government were not so firmly convinced of that point of view they would not have made the approaches they did over the last few days.
Am I right in taking it that the view of the Government is that these visits should not take place and that we are fully entitled to object?
We are getting into the realm of repetition.
We are not. It is very important that these matters be teased out and I am grateful to the Minister for giving me replies to my questions. With reference to the further statement issued today by the British Government, will the Minister reject the principle enunciated again in that statement that this visit was an internal matter and, if so, will he indicate to the British Government that today's statement also is unacceptable?
I believe the last part of my reply answers that. I stated that it was obvious that there was a problem of mutual comprehension as between ourselves and the British Government surrounding this incident. Unfortunately, this is one of the problems that makes such difficulties between the Irish and United Kingdom Governments. It is one of the problems the Forum are trying to resolve, and I presume their work and the conclusions I hope they will come to will make a major contribution to resolving the differences between us in regard to incidents like this.
Am I right in taking it that the position of the Irish Government is that, as was the case with the statement issued last Saturday, the further statement issued today is not acceptable to the Irish Government and cannot be regarded as a satisfactory reply to that protest?
At this stage I should point out that there have been many visits to the North of Ireland over a great number of years by members of the British Royal Family which did not provoke the kind of response from various Governments here that we felt was necessary last week-end. It was only because of the sensitivity in relation to the barracks which the Duke of Edinburgh chose to visit last Friday that we felt it necessary to make our views known to the British Government. If such a comparable set of incidents should occur in the future the Deputy can take it that the Government would consider their response and it might be along the same lines.
I want to put a final supplementary to the Minister because this is a matter of great significance and importance to us all. Does the Minister for Foreign Affairs attach, as I do, significance to the fact that there was a visit by the British Prime Minister to this locality followed by a statement by the British Secretary for Northern Ireland, Mr. Prior, to the effect that the unity of Ireland should not be contemplated in the foreseeable future, followed by this visit by a member of the British Royal Family? Does the Minister see these as inter-related? Does he see them as an attempted indication by the British Government that we in this part of the country, and the Irish Government in particular, should not be attempting to pursue a change in the situation in Northern Ireland with a view to the unification of this country?
No. I do not. I see them as three entirely separate things. I heard the Deputy say on radio over the weekend that he interpreted these three incidents as being an effort by the British Government to influence the conclusions of the Forum. I certainly do not see it that way. The conclusion the Forum reaches will be a matter for the members of the Forum and nobody else.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, I should like to ask the Minister to ask the Taoiseach to convey to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom the view that she should talk to her Minister for Defence, or Secretary of State, and say that wheeling out a royal puppet within sight of a border which is costing us millions of pounds annually to keep secure is unacceptable and will be unacceptable.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I suggest that if Deputy Wilson wishes to question the Taoiseach he should put down a question to him.
I understood that the question was put to the Taoiseach.