§ 11. Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet Ministers from the Republic of Ireland to discuss security.
§ 17. Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to meet the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland.
§ Mr. MarlowPerhaps my right hon. Friend could bring forward some plans fairly quickly and talk to Mr. Haughey and his Ministers, not only about taking people from the South into the North if they have committed offences in the North, but about our security needs in the South Atlantic. Will he tell Mr. Haughey that the longer that he acts as a henchman for General Galtieri the more concerned people in this country will be about the rights of his citizens to vote in our elections?
§ Mr. PriorSome of the things that my hon. Friend would wish me to tell Mr. Haughey might help and some undoubtedly would not. That might be a good reason for not seeing him just yet.
§ Mr. FlanneryWill the Minister try to disregard such hotheads [Interruption.]—and fatheads as well, such as the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow), who are always trying to create a gap between Britain and the Republic of Ireland? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is in everyone's interests, as suggested in the recent lecture by Dr. Garrett FitzGerald, who may be the next Prime Minister of the Republic, to have courts in common in the whole of Ireland? That might act as a bridge. Is it not in everyone's interests to have peace between us and to disregard those un-siren-like voices that are trying to cause trouble?
§ Mr. PriorIt is some surprise to me that the hon. Gentleman describes himself in the manner that he does. We must draw a sharp distinction between the utterances of some politicians and perhaps the true mood of the people of the Irish Republic. If we do that, perhaps some of the peace to which Dr. FitzGerald draws attention, and the goodwill that exists between our countries, can be better fulfilled.