Vol. 424 No. 9
18 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, he intends to take to correct the grossly mistaken views of the President of the African National Congress regarding the Provisional IRA and their activities, articulated by him in an interview recently broadcast on British television; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
In a statement issued by the African National Congress on 20 October, it was stated that the comments which Mr. Mandela made in his recently screened TV interview with Bob Geldof cannot be construed as support for the IRA. It has also been pointed out by the ANC that the interview in question took place in June 1991. The Deputy will no doubt have seen media reports that Mr. Mandela has also clarified his position in a letter to the Lord Mayor of Dublin. The ANC have made clear Mr. Mandela's view that the Government of Ireland is the representative of the people of Ireland and their aspirations.
The ANC and the South African Government will be briefed on the Government's commitment to achieving by peaceful means a just and durable solution to the problem of Northern Ireland. The fact that the actions of the Provisional IRA or other paramilitary groups are repugnant to the vast majority of the Irish people and the Government's rejection of support, whether moral or material, for those in Northern Ireland who espouse violence as a means of achieving their political objectives are on the record.
