Oireachtas

Burke's remarks were `based on reality of talks'

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, told the Dail he had been expressing "the reality of the talks as they are" in comments…

Wed Oct 01 1997 - 01:00

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, told the Dail he had been expressing "the reality of the talks as they are" in comments he made in New York last week about the peace process.

He was responding to the Labour Party leader, Mr Dick Spring, during Question Time, about remarks attributed to him while in the US.

Mr Spring said Mr Burke expressed an opinion that Sinn Fein members would accept a compromise short of British withdrawal and short of a united Ireland. "Those remarks were widely reported, and upon what conversation with Sinn Fein were they based?"

Mr Burke answered by repeating remarks attributed to him in an American paper, USA Today:

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"Burke said an IRA ceasefire announced in July is holding both in the letter and the spirit of the law . . . Burke said a lasting peace in Northern Ireland would not mean an end to British authority.

"This is not going to happen as a result of the talks, Burke said. Irish nationalists may argue for it but nobody at the table is going to get all of what they want."

The Minister told the deputy: "What I was expressing was the reality of the talks as they are there in the context of the framework document. "While, as an Irish republican, I would like to see a united Ireland coming out of the talks, I do not believe that as a first step that is going to happen."

Mr Spring suggested that the Minister's reply implied that he did not specifically make those remarks, and that he did not have a discussion with Sinn Fein about what outcome of the talks would be accepted.

Mr Burke acknowledged that a discussion with Sinn Fein about accepting compromise did not happen, "but I make the point that nobody at that table is going to get anything they want on day one."

He said Sinn Fein was aware of his views about the article in the Republican paper, An Phoblacht, that the IRA had difficulty with the Mitchell principles. But there was nothing to be gained by going over that now that there had been a "historic breakthrough" in the process with the move to substantive talks.

He said that the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, brokered the final breakthrough last Wednesday.