Mary Harney
Ceist:2 Miss Harney asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his visit to Derry on 27 October 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16028/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taoiseach's Visit to Derry.
Bertie Ahern
Ceist:3 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Derry. [16343/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
At the invitation of Mr. John Hume, MP, MEP, I visited Derry on 27 October. My principal engagements were: — a civic reception at the Guildhall, hosted by the Mayor of Derry at which I met a wide range of elected representatives and the leaders of the four main churches in the area, at the reception, I had an opportunity for useful exchanges of views on many aspects of the current political situation; — a walk through parts of the commercial centre of Derry which afforded an opportunity to see at first-hand the remarkable renaissance in the economic life of the city in recent years; — a visit to the Church of Ireland Cathedral, the Cathedral School and the Deanery at the invitation of Dean Orr; — a walk on the historic city walls; — a walk through the Fountain Estate including a visit to its new primary school; — a walk and drive through the Bogside and the Creggan where I had an opportunity to meet local community groups which were joined for the occasion by representatives of community groups from the Waterside and the Fountains area — the meeting with these groups included a most useful discussion on local development issues; — a reception hosted in my honour by the president and officers of the local chamber of commerce and North-West International, formerly known as the Derry-Boston Venture.
I was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to visit both Nationalist and Unionist areas and to meet such a wide range of people, including political representatives, leaders of the main local Churches, community activists from both traditions and a cross-section of representatives of the local business community.
I am happy to report to the House that I was warmly and courteously received everywhere and I hope that my visit contributed in some small way to the bridge-building that is so necessary if lasting peace and reconciliation is to be achieved. I also wish to put on record my admiration for the impressive economic and social developments that have been facilitated in Derry by the spirit of practical co-operation that characterises the relationship between the political parties there. It is a model for all of us and shows what can be accomplished when differences are put aside and people work together for the common good.
In Derry did the Taoiseach discuss with Mr. Hume the possibility of holding a joint meeting with Mr. Hume and Mr. Adams?
Not in any substantial way. That matter is the subject of the next question.
Will the Taoiseach confirm that John Hume declined an invitation to meet him at Government Buildings after he refused to hold a joint meeting with John Hume and Gerry Adams and that he had no option but to go to Derry? Is that not the reason he travelled to the North?
No, it is not. John Hume was unable to accept the offer of a meeting with me at 8.30 a.m. on Friday, 13 October because he was ill. I mentioned to him during a telephone conversation that day that I was due to visit Donegal and Leitrim on 26 and 27 October and suggested that it might be possible for me to visit Derry. He was very interested in this proposal and immediately said that he would make the arrangements for the visit which he did in an exemplary fashion. I take this opportunity of thanking him not only for the comprehensive and well organised nature of the visit, but also for the breadth of the contacts he was able to arrange for me at short notice.
Does the Taoiseach believe it is sensible to put forward different proposals to the British Government from those presented by John Hume today on his behalf and that of Gerry Adams given that Northern Nationalists are becoming increasingly concerned that he is allowing divisions to be created between the Irish Government and the Nationalist party in the North? This matter has been the subject of many editorials since the subject of Northern Ireland was last discussed in the House two weeks ago. Is the Taoiseach concerned that there may be a rift?
There is no rift. The Government has its own functions to perform on its own authority and is doing so, having listened to everybody, in the interests of moving the process forward. We have to take into account the views of all parties, not just one or two, in framing proposals. The next group of questions, Nos. 4 to 9, inclusive, deals more substantively with the matters with which the Deputy is concerned. Questions Nos. 2 and 3 deal with the visit to Derry and it would be better if the Deputy confined his supplementary questions to the subject matter of those questions.
During the Taoiseach's visit to Derry he met the north-west Border group, as he said. Some members of the group were deeply concerned at his replies to questions on additionality to EU funding. Their interpretation of what he said was that the funds would go into the Exchequer but increases in spending would have to be held at 2 per cent.
The Deputy was not at the meeting.
That was the impression received by people at the meeting. It was completely at variance to replies received from the Minister for Finance about matching funding following Mr. Carlo Trojan's statement that matching funding would be made available not alone from the Exchequer but from INTERREG and IFI for Border county funding. The Taoiseach's statement came as a surprise.
I am surprised at Deputy Leonard's making inaccurate remarks about a meeting to which he may have been invited but certainly did not attend.
I was not invited.
I was not able to issue invitations but the Deputy was not there.
He is not from the north-west.
Why is the Taoiseach insinuating that he should have been there?
The Taoiseach made insinuations about Deputy Leonard not attending.
He is citing inaccurately what occurred at the meeting. I made no comment about additionality other than the well-known fact that the Government has a target of not increasing public spending by more than 2 per cent over the rate of inflation in any year. That is necessary to qualify for economic and monetary union and in order to keep interest rates low. Deputy Leonard is well aware of that. The comments I made at this private meeting were entirely unexceptional and no more than a restatement of known Govenment policy.
Following from Deputy Leonard's question, does the Taoiseach accept the INTERREG II and peace initiative funding is special to Border counties to be used in addition to normal EU funding available to all other counties on this island, and not in substitution? Will he ensure that continues?
That is the general basis for those funds but if the Deputy wants to pose any questions about this meeting — which was in Letterkenny, not in Derry——
Sorry, I should have said Letterkenny.
——it would be better if he put them down for the Minister for Finance, who will answer them.
I have done that.