Vol. 394 No. 1
asked the Taoiseach if he has written to the three Members of the European Parliament for Northern Ireland; if he has received any acknowledgments; when he proposes to meet with them to discuss the proposals outlined by him in his speech to Dáil Éireann on 23 November, 1989; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
10.
asked the Taoiseach when the invitations to the three Northern Ireland Members of the European Parliament were issued by him; and if he has had a response thereto.
11.
asked the Taoiseach if he will elaborate on his comments about statements made by Mr. John Taylor.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 10 and 11 together.
I wrote to the three Northern Ireland Members of the European Parliament, on 25 November, as I said I would in my recent statement to the House on Anglo-Irish relations. The timing and location of any meetings that might be held would be a matter of mutual convenience.
I found Mr. Taylor's remarks in the House of Commons on 23 November and subsequently in media interviews to be generally positive and encouraging.
I welcome in particular Mr. Taylor's recognition of the "Irish dimension" to the problems of Northern Ireland. I also welcome Mr. Taylor's support for discussions between myself, in my Presidency capacity, and the Northern Ireland Members of the European Parliament and would, of course, hold myself available for such discussions at all convenient times.
Has the Taoiseach had any specific, positive response from the three persons to whom invitations were issued?
If the Deputy would not mind, I would ask him to await developments and I will promise to keep him informed.
Certainly.
Might I advise the Taoiseach——
A question, please, Deputy.
——as a result of my experience of Mr. John Taylor, the Honourable Member for Strangford, over a period of 25 years, to read with particular carefulness anything that Mr. Taylor says because he has said some things which have conflicted very much over the years, but then I understand that many of us may have done that on occasion. Might I suggest to the Taoiseach that he be very careful about the code words being used, that he may need a special vocabulary in order to enable him interpret those code words. Would he agree that nevertheless he should welcome — indeed and I am glad to note he has welcomed — the comments Mr. John Taylor has made because he is of very considerable importance to the future. He recognises that himself and I think we ought to recognise it as well.
Quite.
Would the Taoiseach say whether exactly the same text was transmitted to each of the MEPs or whether there was any variation or change of emphasis in relation to each correspondent?
I would like the front bench of Fine Gael to make up their minds about this. On the one hand Deputy John Bruton tells me that these things should be done privately. Now the Chief Whip of the Fine Gael Party asks me for details of what I said.
May I ask the Taoiseach——
Will Deputy Bruton sit down? I am dealing with Deputy J. Higgins.
Order. May I ask whether the Taoiseach has concluded his remarks?
Certainly, yes.
I know the Taoiseach would like this House to be run somewhat like the Volkskammer. The Taoiseach, in a disorderly fashion, remains standing. Would he agree that it is common prudence in diplomatic matters that if one wishes to make a démarche of this kind, one should give advance notice to those from whom it is expected there should be a response rather than make such a statement publicly in the first instance?
Quite clearly we are having repetition.
——and convoluted repetition, a Cheann Comhairle.
Deputy Spring has been offering.
In this case I think the convolution is in the Taoiseach's mind because of an absence of understanding on his part.
May I seek clarification in relation to Question No. 11. Has the Taoiseach considered issuing an invitation to Mr. John Taylor, MEP, to come to a meeting or would he consider that worthwhile at this stage?
I would be delighted to meet John Taylor at any time.
Has the Taoiseach issued him an invitation?
Not at present but, as the Deputy knows, since it was he who first put forward the idea here, my invitation is a standing one.
