Following consideration of a memorandum dated the 26th July, 1951,¹ submitted by the Minister for Industry and Commerce² relative to his recent discussion with the Minister of Commerce, Belfast,³ on the subject of the Great Northern Railway Company (Ireland), it was decided that the Minister for Industry and Commerce, while re-affirming the view that the logical solution of the problem would be to maintain the unity of the system unimpaired, should explore further with the Minister of Commerce, the proposals

1. that the Great Northern Railway Company (Ireland) should be purchased jointly by the two Governments;
2. that, subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, the fixed assets in the State should be vested in the Government or their nominees and the fixed assets in the Six Counties should be vested in the Government of the Six Counties or their nominees;
3. that a joint authority should be established to own and operate the railway rolling stock and services (including the Workshops at Dundalk) with full control, subject to the authority in each area having the right to determine the services to be provided in each area and on the understanding that the Workshops at Dundalk would continue to be used exclusively for the repairs, maintenance, etc., of the rolling stock by the joint undertaking; and
4. that the purchase of the Company by the two Governments should be by agreement.