UN General Assembly
1980

299. This is the background that has led my Government to fix the peaceful resolution of the problem of Northern Ireland as our primary political priority. We are determined to seek a lasting and comprehensive settlement to this question. 300. As we look back at the past 10 years, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that much of the political effort in Northern Ireland has been directed at the symptoms only. Successive efforts to work out equitable Government structures within the existing framework of Northern Ireland have come to nothing because they failed to get to grips with the fundamental problem. I would not wish in any way to be dismissive of the most recent attempt, which is still in progress, but it is difficult, from what we know of the positions and the expectations of those involved, to be optimistic as to the result.