UNCLASSIFIED
FM DUBLIN
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 092
OF 271620Z FEBRUARY 92
INFO IMMEDIATE NIO (L), NIO (B), WASHINGTON, BIS NEW YORK
PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH MR REYNOLDS: 26 FEBRUARY: IRISH MEDIA REACTIONS
SUMMARY
1. COVERAGE OF MEETING OVERSHADOWED BY SUPREME COURT RULING ON ABORTION. IRISH MEDIA UNDERLINE THE GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE TAOISEACH, THAT NORTHERN IRELAND WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS' AGENDAS, THEIR SHARED OBJECTIVES, AND RENEWED BRITISH AND IRISH COMMITMENT TO THE ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT.
DETAIL
2. THE PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH THE TAOISEACH ON 26 FEBRUARY HAS BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION ON THE ABORTION ISSUE, BUT ALL IRISH MEDIA REPORT IT FULLY. ON THE ABORTION ISSUE, BUT ALL IRISH MEDIA REPORT IT FULLY. THE IRISH RADIO'S MORNING NEWS HEADLINE WAS THAT THE MEETING SHOWED THE TWO GOVERNMENTS HAD SHARED OBJECTIVES ON NORTHERN IRELAND.
3. THE TAOISEACH'S EMPHASIS ON BOTH GOVERNMENTS' COMMITMENT TO THE ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT, HIS ASSERTION THAT NORTHERN IRELAND WOULD BE AT THE TOP OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS' AGENDAS, AND THEIR MUTUAL WISH TO SEE THE TALKS PROCESS BEGIN AGAIN SOON, ARE GIVEN COVERAGE IN ALL NEWSPAPERS. HIS PLEDGE THAT 'EVERY LEGITIMATE MEANS AT OUR DISPOSAL' WOULD BE USED TO TRY AND STOP THE VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND IS WIDELY REPORTED.
4. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY EVENING CARRIED LIVE ON IRISH TELEVISION, THE TAOISEACH SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT 1920 HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AND THAT IT DID NOT CONFLICT WITH ARTICLE 1 OF THE AGREEMENT: HE REFUSED TO BE DRAWN FURTHER. HE REPEATED HIS OBJECTIVE OF AN EVEN-HANDED APPROACH AND HIS BELIEF THAT REMOVAL OF ARTICLES 2 AND 3 OF THE IRISH CONSTITUTION ALONE WOULD NOT SOLVE THE NORTHERN IRELAND PROBLEM. IN A RADIO INTERVIEW ON 27 FEBRUARY THE FOREIGN MINISTER STRESSED THE GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS AND THE CONTINUITY OF POLICY TOWARDS NORTHERN IRELAND. HE ALSO HOPED FOR AN EARLY RESUMPTION OF THE TALKS PROCESS.
5. IN AN EDITORIAL COMMENT THE IRISH TIMES SAYS THAT THE MEETING WAS SIGNIFICANT. THE TAOISEACH HAS SHOWN HE WANTS A BREAK WITH THE PAST AND TO BRING A NEW MIND TO BEAR ON IRELAND'S OLDEST AND MOST INTRACTABLE PROBLEM: THE PRIME MINISTER THAT HE IS WILLING TO LEND HIS AUTHORITY TO THE PROCESS OF CHANGE. THE MEETING MAINTAINED THE MOMENTUM OF CONTACT BETWEEN DUBLIN AND LONDON. IT NOTES THAT ARTICLES 2 AND 3 OF THE IRISH CONSTITUTION AND THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT 1920 ARE NOT STRICTLY COMPARABLE: THE ACT MAKES NO CLAIM OF SOVEREIGNTY. YET THEIR COUPLING WAS A 'HEPFUL' REMINDER THAT LEGISLATION PASSED IN 1937 AND 1920 'WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO CREATING INFLEXIBLE MIND-SETS SHOULD BE RIGOROUSLY EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OF THE NEEDS OF THE 1990S AND, IF FOUND WANTING, JUST AS RIGOROUSLY REJECTED'.
6. THE CORK EXAMINER NOTES THAT NEITHER THE TAOISEACH NOR THE PRIME MINISTER SAID MUCH EXCEPT TO PLEDGE THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE WORKING OF THE ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT, 'IN A MESSAGE OBVIOUSLY INTENDED FOR UNIONISTS'.
7. OVERALL, THE MEDIA PORTRAY THE TAOISEACH AS HAVING GOT OFF TO A GOOD START WITH THE PRIME MINISTER.
BLATHERWICK
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION 157
MAIN 104
.NORTHERN IRELAND
LIMITED
RID
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
INFO D
ECD (I)
NAD
RAD
RMD
SCD
PS
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR GAREL-JONES
PS/PUS
CHIEF CLERK
NEWSD
NTCD
PLANNERS
PMD
MR BROOMFIELD
MISS SPECER
MR GREENSTOCK
ADDITIONAL 53
NORTHERN IRELAND
NNNN
