asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the process and the forum in which parties in the Republic and Northern Ireland are being invited to contribute to the review of the Anglo-Irish Agreement covered in Article 11.
13.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Anglo-Irish Agreement.
12.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he intends to put forward in the context of the forthcoming review of the working of the Anglo-Irish Inter-governmental Conference.
33.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the Government's assessment of the operation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement over the last three years including its main achievements and shortcomings.
35.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has formulated any initiative in preparation for the scheduled review of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November.
40.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions which have been held to date with the British Government regarding the review of the workings of the Anglo-Irish Agreement; the changes, if any, the Government wishes to see brought about by the review; if the establishment of devolved Government in Northern Ireland and the introduction of a Bill of Rights remain policy objectives of this Government; if it is intended to give Dáil Éireann an opportunity to review the agreement prior to the conclusion of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
51.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when it is expected that the proposed review of the working of the Anglo-Irish Agreement will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I understand that Questions Nos. 12 and 13 are taken with Priority Question No. 51.
Am I to take it Minister that Questions Nos. 12, 13, 33, 35, 40 and 51 are proposed to be taken together?
Priority Question No. 51, which is Deputy Barry's question, will be taken with Questions Nos. 12, 13, 33, 35 and 40.
Will Questions Nos. 33, 35 and 40 be taken together with Questions Nos. 12, 13 and 51?
Yes.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 13, 33, 35, 40 and 51 together.
The joint statement issued after the meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference on 2 November sets out the manner in which both Governments are approaching the review process. (A copy of this statement has been placed in the Dáil Library). As is indicated in the joint statement, the review will undertake a thorough and serious review of the workings of the Conference under each of the articles of the Agreement; the main emphasis will be on a positive programme of work for the future to further the aims of the agreement.
The achievements and shortcomings in implementation of the agreement will be a matter for detailed discussion between the two Governments in the course of the forthcoming review.
In the course of the review, the Irish Government will put forward a range of proposals designed to improve the operation of the agreement as a whole, and of a number of its component articles.
The statement of 2 November indicates that each Government will take careful account of views expressed to it, both on the past experience of the Conference and on any changes which might be desirable in its scope and nature. It is the intention to show flexibility and openness as to the manner in which views are conveyed. In this regard, we would hope that procedural consideration would not stand in the way of the widest possible dialogue. With regard to political parties in the Republic, the precise manner in which their views are conveyed will be a matter for discussion with party leaders.
As indicated in the joint statement, both Governments anticipate that the review will be completed in the early part of 1989.
With regard to Deputy Mac Giolla's question, I can confirm that the Government continue to favour the introduction of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. As regards devolution, Article 4 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement speaks of devolution "on a basis which would secure widespread acceptance throughout the community." Sub-paragraph (c) of that same article goes on to say that "both Governments recognise that devolution can be achieved only with the co-operation of constitutional representatives within Northern Ireland of both traditions there". On the basis of the stated positions of the parties in Northern Ireland I do not see that the prospects for this are very high at present.
First, I will call Deputy Peter Barry who has the Priority Question tabled in connection with this matter.
May I seek your guidance a Cheann Comhairle? Will I still be permitted to ask questions during Priority Question Time at 3.30 p.m.?
There are a large number of questions asked.
The Chair has no control over the time factor. I am affording Deputy Barry an opportunity of putting a supplementary question. We have some minutes left before proceeding to deal with Priority Questions proper.
On a point of order, may I make the point, a Cheann Comhairle, that once it comes to 3.30 p.m.——
Let us not waste time, Deputy.
If I am not called before 3.30 p.m. I will not have any right to put a supplementary question.
I will try to facilitate the Deputy.
On the same point a Cheann Comhairle, my party have three questions down, which are now being taken together.
We shall see, but let us not waste time.
Does the Minister not agree that by taking this lengthy period to review the Agreement, which, in my view, is a totally unnecessary length of time, he is only encouraging the extreme parts of both traditions to be more intransigent and more destructive than they have been for the last three years and that the wisest thing that the Government could do is to quickly review the agreement on the basis of the report which they asked the civil servants to draw up in September and which issued last Tuesday?
I should like to say to Deputy Barry that the Government do not share the view expressed by him nor does the British Government share that view.
That does not mean I am wrong.
I should like to ask the Minister if the Government have formulated any political initiative to get the Unionists and the other Northern Ireland parties involved in the review of the Agnlo-Irish Agreement outside of Article 11 which provides for a review of the nature and scope of the conference. Has any political initiative been taken in this regard by this Government or by the two Governments collectively?
First, with regard to any specific proposals our Government might have to put forward during the course of the review, I should like to say that our approach will be a comprehensive one involving all the relevant articles of the agreement. We will deal with all the major areas of concern everywhere, if we are asked to. In particular we will deal with the major areas of concern to the Nationalist community. At this stage I do not think it would be proper or productive to engage in public discussion on the detailed work of the review.
I want to bring in Deputy De Rossa at this stage for a brief question.
Can the Minister clarify the Government's attitude to devolved government as a policy. The question specifically asks if devolved government is a policy option which this Government favour. The Minister did not respond directly to that question. May I also ask him if he is aware, as I am aware, that the statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs that devolved government was not an option being pursued at this time caused dismay among those in Northern Ireland who see devolved government as the only realistic way forward and that includes the major Unionist parties and the SDLP?
I do not accept that at all. I dealt specifically with the question of devolution in the course of my reply and I do not think it is necessary for me, having regard to the time strictures, to repeat it. We are concentrating our energies in the areas that are most likely to be productive and that is the criterion we will continue to apply. Obviously, we will keep under review the potential for progress under Article IV.
We have now encroached on Priority Time proper by some two minutes. I will allow Deputy Kennedy to put one further supplementary question and also Deputy Barry, if he chooses to do so.
Does the Minister envisage that there would be a meeting with the other signatory to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, Mrs. Thatcher, as part of the extended review process? When is it proposed to have discussions with other party leaders here on the review, given that the schedule date is next week, 15 November?
Regarding the second part of Deputy Kennedy's question, I indicated in my reply that discussion between the party leaders would take place. That is something to be got under way very quickly. With regard to the first part of the Deputy's question, this is something that will be considered in due course.
Deputy Peter Barry for a final supplementary on this question.
I have a Priority Question and we are in Priority Time. May I ask the Minister if he shared the optimism expressed by the Taoiseach when he was in Australia in July that talks were possible with the Unionist community in Northern Ireland and if that optimism is a basis for the extended review now? Will the Minister confirm that the review will take place only on the workings of the agreement and not on the agreement itself?
The answer to the second part of Deputy Barry's question is, yes, as also is the answer to the first part of his question. We would certainly like to see the Unionists being involved in this review and having an input into it. We should hope so, bearing in mind the comments of Unionist leaders that I have heard.
I would emphasise what I have said in the reply, that this is a time of serious reflection on important issues. We hope that the leadership of the majority community in Northern Ireland will avail of the opportunity to have an input. We would not want narrow arguments about procedure to stand in the way of that input. Our approach as to how views are conveyed is an open and flexible one.
The Minister will appreciate that the debate is coming up and we cannot discuss this issue because the Taoiseach——
We are now almost five minutes into Priority Time. I am going on to deal with priority questions proper, Deputy Barry, and I will not be thwarted in that regard. I will allow you one brief supplementary.
I certainly do not mean to thwart you. I am just pointing out the fact that we have not had the opportunity——
I have been generous in respect of allowing supplementaries on this question.
May I ask the Minister if there was any basis for the optimism expressed by the Taoiseach when he was in Australia that he was hopeful of getting the Unionists into talks.
I would certainly like to be able to say to this House that not alone do I share the view expressed by the Taoiseach at that time but I would hope that every other Member of the House would have the same view.
Is it based on fact or optimism?
Despite the comments we have read and heard by Unionist leaders, bearing in mind that this is a time of serious reflection on important issues and that the review is going ahead, I hope the Unionist Party will have another look at the situation and recognise the facts as they are, that is, that the review is going ahead and it is far better for them to have an input into it rather than not to have such input.