September 14 1974
When Mr Merlyn Rees, the Northern Secretary of State, visits Dublin next week for border security talks with the Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave, and the Minister for Justice, Mr Patrick Cooney, he will be told some home truths (writes Tom Samways).
The aim of Mr Rees’s cross-border trip was said last night to be closer co-operation between the RUC and the gardaí. But Dublin cabinet ministers have made it clear, within recent weeks, that liaison between the two police forces has never been better and that border friction has been caused by British troops.
The Secretary of State’s visit to Dublin was planned as far back as July. But the date was finally fixed in London this week, when Mr Rees sat in on Downing Street talks between the taoiseach and British premier Mr Harold Wilson.
Strong complaints have recently been lodged through the Irish Embassy in London with the Westminster government about the behaviour of British troops in border areas. There have been several reports of irresponsible and unjustified shooting across the border by soldiers including one incident last week when two Newry men on the southern side were wounded and are still in hospital.
The British Government has been made aware of a lengthy series of incidents during which gardaí and 26-county civilians, including a duck shooting party, have come under fire by British troops who claimed they have been attacked from the southern side of the border and were returning the fire, although there was ample evidence that the only shots fired came from the military in the north.
While all this was – and is – going on, there were repeated requests from London – ignoring the complaints about incidents involving the British Army – for closer co-operation on border security between the two governments.
It was regarded as significant that when Mr Rees’s plan to call on the taoiseach and justice minister during a one-day visit to Dublin was announced last night, it was the police force and not the military who were mentioned in the need for increased cross-border co-operation.
The truth is that both RUC headquarters in Belfast and Garda headquarters in Dublinare completely satisfied with what is described as the “excellent” co-operation between the two forces.
The same cannot be said of co-operation between the British Army and the 26-county security forces.
