January 6 1974
The proposals made by Mr Desmond Boal, QC, former chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party, for a federal Irish parliament holding the kind of powers formerly reserved for Westminster under the 1920 Act, together with a provincial parliament in the north possessing the powers formerly held by Stormont, have had a mixed reception in political circles.
Mr Gerry Fitt, Deputy Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he thought the suggestions should be looked at seriously by all those who, even last week, were continuing with their attempts to restore one-party ascendancy. Such a situation, however, could never arise here again, he added.
Mr Boal, who made the proposals in a newspaper interview, said the only viable solution to the present problem here was an amalgamated Ireland. He said that, properly and adequately argued, he could see, in this idea, the possibility of assuaging Protestant fears and ending Provisional violence – neither of which aims could be achieved by the Sunningdale Agreement.
“In this way,” said Mr Boal, “both the majority and the minority could say, with some justification, that the greater part of their political ambitions have been realised – Protestants because their two main principles had been safeguarded and the Catholics because the principle of unification had been established.”
Mr Boal argued that total integration with the United Kingdom is now impossible and independence patently disastrous.
Mr Fitt said many people throughout the history of Northern Ireland had made similar proposals to those made by Mr Boal. “Indeed in the past,” added Mr Fitt, “I have repeatedly pointed out that the unionist people in Northern Ireland can only dignify their own position by realising that they cannot be supported for all time by outside sources such as Britain. They are placed in an inferior position, whereas I take the view, in a united Ireland, the unionist population in the Six Counties would have a very important role to play.
“I have absolutely no doubt that given such a situation brought about by consent, the unionist people, who have clung tenaciously to the British connection, would find that their interests lay here in their own country. I think the important thing Mr Boal has highlighted and which merits the serious attention of unionist supporters is his declaration that Britain is no longer prepared to bolster up an intransigent minority intent on maintaining to itself all the powers, to the detriment of one-third of the population in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Fitt said that, at this point of time, he fervently believed the Sunningdale Agreement gave protection to both sides’ aspirations in Northern Ireland and, given the opportunity to progress, would enable Irishmen, north and south of the border, to find a new trust and confidence in each other which would allow them to take political decisions which would settle once and for all time the destiny of this island.
Mr Jim Hendron, chairman of the Alliance Party, said the key to Mr Boal’s arguments for an “amalgamated or federal Ireland” is his assertion that he is concerned fundamentally with the Protestant community and the preservation of its way of life.
“From that point of view, his analysis is clear and honest. His argument, however, falls down badly on two vital matters. Firstly, his proposal of a provincial parliament is recognisably no different from the old Protestant ascendancy government which reigned uninterrupted for so long at Stormont.
“Secondly, a basic objection to his proposals is that it ignores, just as the Provisional IRA ignores, the fact that the 350-year-old political divide in our Northern Ireland society is the core of the problem which not only must be solved but which can be solved by the process of power-sharing we have now got.”