asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made any protest to the US Government about the recent underground nuclear tests; and whether he will press the United Nations for a ban on all testing of nuclear weapons.

The US administration, as indeed the Governments of all the nuclear weapons states, are well aware of the Government's position on nuclear testing. When I addressed the third NPT Review Conference last August I outlined that position. On behalf of the Government I spoke of the need for a demonstration of genuine willingness on the part of the nuclear weapons states to give a fresh impetus to the negotiation of a comprehensive test ban treaty. As evidence of that commitment I urged those states to halt their nuclear tests at the earliest possible date. This exhortation was repeated in my address to the 40th Session of the UN General Assembly in September last.

As regards the specific incidents of testing by the US which the Deputy has raised, it is not our practice to convey our views regarding individual tests to the Governments concerned.

I have already alluded to the efforts of the Government to promote a ban on the testing of nuclear weapons. This Government consider the negotiation of a comprehensive test ban treaty the first milestone in any serious programme of nuclear disarmament. Successive Irish Governments have advocated such a treaty, the conclusion of which would, we believe, constrain and eventually preclude the further development of nuclear weapons. To this end we have traditionally lent staunch support or cosponsorship to resolutions urging the negotiation of a CTBT at the United Nations General Assembly each year. It is the Government's intention to continue to strongly advocate the necessity of a comprehensive test ban treaty.

Will the Minister agree that the continued testing of nuclear weapons undermines belief in the good faith of countries concerned when they say they are committed to nuclear disarmament?

Yes, we would very much like to see a comprehensive ban on all future testing, not that that in itself will lead to elimination of nuclear weapons but we think that testing will lead to the development of more dangerous and sophisticated weapons in the future, so we would very much like to see a ban come into force.

Did the present Government vote consistently on all occasions at the UN for a ban on the testing of nuclear weapons?

Unless there was some kind of propaganda wording in such a resolution. I do not want to give an categorical assurance on that. We would try to avoid motions or resolutions put down for clearly propagandistic purposes, but where there was a genuine resolution in favour of a comprehensive ban on nuclear tests we would have voted for it. As I say, I do not want to give a categorical "yes" to that because I have not got the list in front of me.

Having regard to what the Minister has said, will he tell the House why he has not made diplomatic representations in Dublin and Washington about the latest nuclear test in the Nevada Desert?

It has not been our or any Irish Government's position to make what could be interpreted as a one-sided approach to the matter in the sensitive issue of nuclear disarmament. We have never on individual tests protested to either side in this regard. I think that is a wise stand to take. We just stated at various international fora around the world the Government's position on all nuclear testing.