asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ask the new British Government whether they will make a declaration of intent to withdraw their armed forces from Northern Ireland at some future date.

There is no proposal to make a request of the kind mentioned by the Deputy.

Does the Minister not realise that such a declaration of intent would ease tension in the North?

I think that would be a matter of argument. The Deputy is aware that the British Government solemnly declared in the agreed communique after the Sunningdale conference that if in the future the majority of the people of Northern Ireland should indicate a wish to become part of a united Ireland the British Government would support that wish. That was an important and constructive development.

Would the Minister not accede to Deputy Gogan's request and ask this new Government if that is their intention? Indeed, their Leader expressed such an intention some time ago—that they would make a declaration of intent. Would the Minister further take into account that it is now clearly evident that if they took the whole British Army——

The Deputy is embarking on a statement.

May I ask if the Minister is aware that by virtue of the experience of the last four years it is now clear that the only thing the British have not tried in order to settle the situation in the Six Counties is to declare their intention to get out and that until they do so there is not a hope in hell of there being any peace there?

The answer to the question is that there is no proposal to make a request of the kind mentioned.