§ Mr. Stratton Millsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of incidents which there have now been on the Northern Ireland border since 24th March, 1972; and if he will indicate the incidents on which a protest has been lodged with the Republic of Ireland Government.
§ Mr. Anthony Royle:Since 24th March, this year, there have been 19 cross-border incidents involving violence perpetrated by the IRA along the Border of Northern Ireland and the Republic. Her Majesty's Government are in regular contact with the Government of the Republic about such incidents; and the authorities in the Republic are in no doubt of our views on the measures which should be taken to prevent them.
§ Mr. Stratton Millsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 230W Affairs if he will list the occasions on which protests have been received from the Republic of Ireland Government in relation to border incidents; and what reply has been sent by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr, Anthony Royle:From time to time the Government of the Republic have forwarded allegations of incursions by our troops across the Northern Ireland Border into the Republic. All these allegations are carefully investigated and detailed replies are then sent to the Government of the Republic. To give a full list would involve a disproportionate amount of work. On the few occasions where incursions had in fact occurred, these were inadvertent and we have expressed regret to the Irish authorities: but in the vast majority of cases our inquiries showed that no incursion had taken place.