The Minister said in his reply to Deputy Collins that they were awaiting the considered opinion of the British Government of the Forum. Surely this question comes under the ambit of security, and there are constant contacts with officials of his Department and England regarding security matters. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is reported as saying in recent days that greater co-operation would take place. Can the Minister say that in such discussions the question of joint policing has been raised?

No. The Deputy there is referring to the type of operational aspects of security that have taken place between the security forces in the North and South over a great number of years now which are necessary in all our interests to track down the people responsible for the outrage in Brighton last week, and I object strongly to the people responsible saying that they did in my name. The end result of their activities would be to postpone the reunification of the people of this country, not to bring them any nearer together. Any policy aspects would have to wait until we are discussing the response of the British Government to the Forum report.

But the question of joint policing has not been raised.

It could not be raised between the people we are co-operating with at present.

But it has not been raised.