HC Deb 28 January 1982 vol 16 cc985-7
1. Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on communications between officials of his Department and officials of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

8. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers from his Department have met Ministers in the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

16. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy towards contacts at ministerial level between his Department and members of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. James Prior)

Communication between the two Governments is mainly through the usual diplomatic channels. But Ministers of my Department meet Ministers of the Republic of Ireland whenever necessary to discuss matters of mutual concern, and officials of the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments similarly communicate with their opposite numbers in the Republic, as they have for many years past. There have been six meetings at ministerial level in the past 12 months, not counting that which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister had with Dr. FitzGerald in November 1981, which I attended. I will be meeting Senator Dooge in London tomorrow.

Mr. Marlow

Will my right hon. Friend make sure that the Irish Government know that Northern Ireland is, and he intends that it should remain, part of the United Kingdom and that he would neither wish nor permit any loosening of the ties between the Province and the rest of the United Kingdom?

Mr. Prior

Both Dr. FitzGerald and Mr. Haughey have on numerous occasions made it clear that they recognise that any change in the constitution of Northern Ireland can be carried out only with the consent of the people of Northern Ireland. That remains the position of Her Majesty's Government as well.

Mr. McNair-Wilson

Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the best ways of removing anxieties in Northern Ireland about the purposes of the ministerial meetings or of the Anglo-Irish talks would be for Her Majesty's Government to press upon the Government of the Republic the need to introduce some meaningful extradition arrangements for those accused of acts of terrorism in Northern Ireland?

Mr. Prior

My hon. Friend is right to stress that point. My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General met his opposite number on 25 November and discussed what further measures might be taken to ensure that terrorists do not evade prosecution for crimes committed in one country by fleeing to another. This issue is being considered further by the two Attorneys-General.

Mr. Flannery

Did I understand the Secretary of State to give an assurance that, whichever party emerges from the forthcoming election as the next Irish Government, the talks will continue? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that such talks are in the interests of peaceful relations between the people of Ireland and that nobody, no matter how deep his feelings about unity, should be allowed constantly to raise the question in such a way as to prevent the talks from continuing?

Mr. Prior

My understanding is that, whichever Government might come into office in the Republic, the talks will continue. It is equally clear that the more open and the more understanding those talks are, the fewer misrepresentations there will be in the North. I must stress again that these talks are about economic and security matters, not constitutional change.

Mr. J. Enoch Powell

What reason has the Secretary of State for assuming that he is made aware of all the communications that pass between officials of his Department, officials of the Irish Government and officials of the American embassy in Dublin?

Mr. Prior

Because I am the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in Her Majesty's Government and because I have more confidence in my officials' integrity than has the right hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Soley

Does the Secretary of State accept the Opposition's view that those talks are important and should continue, whichever party takes over in Ireland, whether they are on the lines of the Conservative Government's policy or on the lines of the policy that we support, which is a united Ireland with the consent of the minority?

Mr. Prior

Those talks are an important part of trying to bring about a better understanding of the economic and security problems in Northern Ireland, which are also of great importance to the Republic of Ireland. However, they are best seen if they are recognised as being in the context of the United Kingdom and not solely of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Mr. McCusker

What stage have the talks between officials in the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy in Dublin reached with regard to Kinsale gas? Does the Secretary of State expect a prolonged delay in reaching agreement as a result of the present situation in the Republic?

Mr. Prior

As the hon. Gentleman knows, the meeting took place in December between my hon. Friend the Minister of State and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic. It is now a matter of the officials continuing with the discussions. I hope that they will not be delayed by yesterday's events. It is important from the point of view of the gas authorities and other energy interests that we should reach an early decision on the matter. I hope that there will be no delay. If I receive any further information, I shall let the hon. Gentleman know.