asked the Taoiseach the reason he did not include representatives of the two communities in Northern Ireland among his nominations to An Seanad.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taoiseach's Seanad Nominations.
1.
It is not the practice to elaborate on the basis for such nominations.
Does the Taoiseach not think it regrettable, given his very public invitations to members of the Unionist community to come and meet him and talk things over, that he did not avail of this opportunity to give them an opportunity to speak in the other House of this Oireachtas?
Yes, I regret it was not possible. As the Deputy knows, it was I who initiated this practice in the first instance. I sought to appoint somebody on this occasion but was not successful.
I am sure the lack of success was not related to the number of people who would be willing to serve rather than the number of vacancies the Taoiseach had for other reasons at his disposal. He anticipates me when he says he initiated it. I agree with that and pay tribute to him for having done so, which makes it all the more regrettable that he has now discontinued the practice.
We are having a statement from the Deputy instead of a question. He must proceed by way of question.
I do not want to label him as doing damage, but the Taoiseach missed a marvellous opportunity to put into practice what he has been preaching for the last two years about contacts——
Please, Deputy Barry, this is not the way to conduct Question Time.
Do I take it from the Taoiseach's response about ending this practice, which I thought was very meritorious — and he says he regrets not being able to do it — that he was not able to do it because of political considerations between the two parties in Government or because he was not able to find people to accept invitations?
I sought to find suitable people to appoint but I did not succeed in finding somebody who would be appropriate to the considerations I had in mind. I want to assure the Deputy that I made a very special effort.
Deputy Austin Currie is offering.
Also, I would like to assure Deputy Barry that appointment to the Seanad was only one mechanism available to us in this regard. Any other possibility that offers for better communication between representatives of the different traditions in Northern Ireland will be availed of.
I accept that. It is very important——
May I assure the Taoiseach that the practice he initiated was appreciated very strongly in the North as a recognition of the importance which this Government attach to having the authentic voice of Northerners represented in the Oireachtas? On this occasion it would have been appreciated even more, considering it was recognised that the Taoiseach and the Leader of the Progressive Democrats have political difficulties and the gesture on this occasion would have been seen as having meant something, considering the circumstances in which it would have to be done.
I would like to assure the Deputy that we both made an effort to make such a gesture.
No. 2 please.
May I just raise one point?
Please let us get on to another question.
The Taoiseach apparently made some efforts and found diffidulty in finding people who might accept such nominations. I understand that on the majority side in Northern Ireland there might be some such difficulty, but I find it difficult to accept there would be any great problem in finding a nominee from the minority side in Northern Ireland. Could the Taoiseach clarify that?
I do not intend to say any more. I have been as frank with the House as I can be.