Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble objected to Tourism Ireland having powers to run advertising campaigns in Britain encouraging visitors to the island of Ireland.
The highly successful tourism body, which is still in existence, was one of the cross-Border bodies set up under the Belfast Agreement and promotes Ireland internationally.
A previously confidential document, publicly released as part of the State Papers this month, notes that a Tourism Ireland marketing campaign had been delayed in 2003 by Mr Trimble’s objections.
“This decision had been blocked by secretary of state [Paul] Murphy, following objections raised by David Trimble to the designation of Great Britain as part of [Tourism Ireland’s] ‘overseas’ market.”
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However, taoiseach Bertie Ahern complained about Mr Trimble’s opposition to British prime minister Tony Blair, saying the delay was “unacceptable”.
“The Irish government expected the North-South bodies to be allowed to get on with their important work without such interference,” he told Mr Blair sharply.
Though largely forgotten by the public, the North-South bodies were Dublin’s key demand in the Belfast Agreement talks in return for dropping the article 2 and 3 territorial claims.
The issue was raised a year later by Mr Ahern with Mr Blair, when the Irish government was particularly worried about the future of North-South bodies because of the suspension of Stormont’s institutions.
“We have been pragmatic with the British, and have, so far, adhered to the ‘care and maintenance’ undertakings, agreed in deference to UUP sensitivities, in exchange for the continued operation of the bodies,” an Irish briefing paper said.
The Stormont institutions had been suspended for far longer than anyone had believed when they fell in 2002, the note went on. In fact, they did not come back to life until 2007.
The “reluctance” of London to progress North-South co-operation that had previously been clearly agreed must be challenged, it went on: “There can be no unionist veto on North-South co-operation.”
Successful North-South bodies are “of strategic importance” to the government and “not a political issue”, it went on. Tourism, for example, employed 100,000 people and generated billions.