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  1. Overview: Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992
  2. Full Record: Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992
  3. Committee:British-Unionist Talks
  4. Session: 1992-10-13 08:15:00
  5. Event type: CREATE

Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992

WORK IN PROGRESS - IN THE FINAL STAGES OF EDITING A series of talks launched by Peter Brooke, Secretary of State for Northern in Ireland, which began in April 1991, and were carried on intermittently by Brooke and his successor, Patrick Mayhew, until November 1992.

British-Unionist Talks

Meetings between the British Government, the UUP and the DUP. Dates of meetings created from source material, but records of discussions not currently available to us.

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Document introduced in:

Session 13131: 1992-10-13 08:15:00

Meeting between DUP and Secretary of State.

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Conclusions of the Bilateral DUP 13 October 1992 0815

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Conclusions of the Bilateral DUP 13 October 1992 0815

The discussion focused on the DUP Statement made in response to HMG's paper of the 10th October 1992.

The DUP made it clear that the Unionists could not accept all Ireland institutions with executive powers in which Unionists would be in a minority. Nor could any institutions be freestanding; they had to be part of a UK/Irish Republic framework.

Further elaborations:

- On the phrase "joint authority", Dr Paisley confirmed that the DUP had no difficulty about the idea of joint consultative arrangements, within a British/Irish framework, which could lead to joint action in both parts of Ireland with the agreement of the legislatures north and south. The key point was that no institution should have the right to take executive action if it was one in which Unionists would be in a minority.

- While the DUP could not accept freestanding north/south institutions they could accept "compartmentalised" arrangements within an overall UK/ROI structure.

- The DUP said that their view was not necessarily incompatible with the HMG paper, but thought it could give rise to multiple interpretations in certain places and wished to clarify their position.

- The DUP were particularly nervous about the idea of institutions which had the capacity for development, which was considered an inexorable move towards a united Ireland. They would insist on the safeguard of development "by agreement" (agreement of the three legislatures).

- The DUP believed that any inter—parliamentary body should involve representatives of the London/Belfast/Dublin Parliaments as well as MEPs

- While the DUP accepted the need for a Secretariat to service meetings, they were opposed to anything which might be portrayed as an "all Ireland Civil Service in—waiting". It was crucial that representatives from north and south at joint meetings should be accompanied by their own officials.

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