The Taoiseach has come before the House today and asked us to accept that his presentation of recent events in Northern Ireland, as presented in North America, was fair minded. Would the Taoiseach not accept that it is incumbent on him as head of this Government to condemn violence at every opportunity? Why in that context was there no reference to the outrageous events in Eniskillen earlier this year?

That is probably the easiest thing to deal with. On a number of occasions I made absolutely clear the position of this Government and of all constitutional parties in this House in regard to violence. I made clear our condemnation of violence, our rejection of barbaric acts and our belief that progress can only be made through constitutional political action. The group of people I was talking to in New York were a very respectable cross-section of Irish-American opinion——

They would not allow you to condemn the Provisional IRA.

I know that if I were to urge that audience——

Not once did the Taoiseach condemn the Provisional IRA while in New York.

Deputy Desmond must desist from interrupting.

Deputy Spring might understand what I am trying to say if I had an opportunity to explain it to him. If I were to urge that particular audience not to support violence or the Provisional IRA they would be insulted. They are people who have. never had anything to do with violence. They do not want to know violence and in no circumstances would they ever support anything connected with violence. The people I spoke to inside the Waldorf Astoria are totally committed to supporting constitutional political action. The people who support violence were outside and they would not listen to what I had to say. Furthermore——

Why did the Taoiseach not mention the IRA or Enniskillen? Never once since he became Taoiseach has he condemned the IRA.

Let us hear the Taoiseach's reply.

I want to explain to Deputy Spring that I gave a major interview to American correspondents which I thought was probably the best vehicle for getting my views across to American public opinion in general. I went to great lengths in that interview to explain the position of this Government and all parties in this State in regard to the rejection of violence. I did so also in other television and radio interviews. Therefore, I think that is a very base, false criticism to level at me. The people I spoke to are people who accept it as axiomatic that no Irish Government condone violence and that none of us in this House condones violence. It would be totally counter-productive to suggest to them that there is any possibility that they might.

This is the first Taoiseach to go there and not condemn the Provisional IRA.

Deputy Desmond must restrain himself. I am calling on Deputy De Rossa.

Is it not the truth that if he had condemned violence it would have affected his fund raising?