In responding to my question earlier in regard to Irish emigrants the Taoiseach — and I thank him for his reply in that regard — indicated that he did not understand the second part of my question on devolved Government. I want to seek clarification on the speech which the Taoiseach made in America which was reported in The Irish Times of Friday last in which he indicated that he did not see a solution to the problem of Northern Ireland within the confines of Northern Ireland. What I want to ask the Taoiseach is——

The Deputy must come to the point.

——whether he was speaking in terms of his party's and Government's long term aspirations with regard to unity or was he ruling out any possibility of this Government assisting in the development of a democratic devolved Government within Northern Ireland?

The first thing I want to say is that I never mentioned devolved Government in Northern Ireland. I never accepted or rejected it and I never mentioned it in any of my speeches. I spent a long time in this House a short time ago giving in precise detail my full view of devolution in Northern Ireland and I did not feel it necessary to go over to America and start talking about it again.

The Taoiseach is running with the hare and hunting with the hound.

I am bringing these questions to finality.

What this clearly indicates is that the Taoiseach is ruling out devolved Government.

I refer the Deputy to the records of this House. I have dealt with this matter in detail. I refuse at the request of the Opposition parties in this House to become a parrot on these issues. I think it is necessary to say these things definitely and authoritatively when necessary but to keep on repeating them day after day when it is not necessary to do so is to debase the coinage.