Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 27 Jan 1994

Vol. 437 No. 7

Written Answers. - Status of Newspaper Publication.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

43 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give the status of the document published in the Irish Press of 19 November 1993, entitled Irish Draft Joint Working Paper; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

The document to which the Deputy refers was a draft which had been prepared at official level in my Department as part of a process of negotiation and discussion between the two Governments which the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I initiated in September 1993.

The British side of that process had already submitted preliminary views on matters which might feature in resumed political talks on Northern Ireland. The document published in theIrish Press was a draft of what our position might be in response to the position of the British Government.

It had not been presented to, or considered by, the Government at any stage.