The claim that former Taoiseach Charles Haughey "distrusted" his own Department of Foreign Affairs is highlighted in Northern Ireland Office files just released in Belfast under the 30/20 Year Rule.
In a briefing document for the incoming Permanent Under-Secretary of the NIO, Sir John Blelloch on February 19th, 1988, Peter Bell, a senior official, commented:
“Though the Department of Foreign Affairs is the lead department of Anglo-Irish relations, Mr Haughey distrusts it and, as under [his previous]administration, the Department of the Taoiseach occupies the prominent position.
"Mr Dermot Nally, the Secretary to the Government, anyway has considerable personal authority as co-chairman of the group which produced the [Anglo-Irish]Agreement."
Mr Bell noted that Haughey's adviser, Dr Martin Mansergh, was also influential while the Irish Embassy in London was no longer significant in North/South matters.
Reviewing political attitudes in the Republic, Mr Bell informed Mr Blelloch that “for the Irish, the partition of the island remains at the heart of contemporary politics”.
Turning to Haughey, the official commented: “Mr Haughey was initially strongly critical of the Anglo-Irish Agreement ... however, his opposition proved electorally unpopular and on becoming Taoiseach, Mr Haughey did a volte-face; he said he would operate the Agreement”.
This had continued and, even in the wake of the decision by the British Attorney-General, Sir Patrick Mayhew, not to prosecute RUC officers named in the Stalker-Sampson 'shoot to kill' investigation, he had "not reneged on the Agreement".
Assessing the operation of the AIA since November 1985, Mr Bell stressed the importance of the Maryfield Secretariat as the main channel of communication for the Irish side.
“Its Irish members at first had access at an extremely high level of the Irish Government”.
The Secretariat had defied many political difficulties but “has declined somewhat lately” reflecting “Mr Haughey’s distrust of the DFA, keeping all the main decisions to himself”.
