§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress he has made in the discussions with the Government of the Republic of Ireland regarding matters relating to Northern Ireland which are of mutual concern to both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PriorI met Senator Dooge on 29 January as part of the first meeting of the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental council at ministerial level. We exchanged views on matters of mutual interest in the political, economic, and security fields. There have been no discussions between 413W Ministers from the Northern Ireland Office and their opposite numbers in the Republic of Ireland since then, although contact at official level has continued.