Extract from the minutes of a meeting of the Cabinet
'Schedule A'¹ Aide Mémoire from the British Government
(GC 5/48) (Item 1) (S14387B)

The United Kingdom Government have been giving careful consideration to the Éire Government's Aide Mémoire of 20th October. They are still unable to find any way of overcoming the difficulties which were fully explained to Mr. MacBride and Mr. McGilligan. The last thing that the United Kingdom Government would wish would be to be hurried into taking action in advance to deal with the very difficult situation which will arise in international law when the proposed repeal of the External Relations Act takes effect. This interim message is being sent in view of the fact that the Bill to repeal the External Relations Act is to be introduced on 17th November. If it is impossible for the Éire Government to postpone the introduction of that Bill, which would be much the most satisfactory course, the United Kingdom Government trust that the date to be fixed for the commencement of the Act will be such as to provide a sufficient interval to enable the full implications to be further discussed.