asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state on what date and in what form and from whom an invitation was received by the Government to send representatives to the Aviation Conference now being held in the United States, and if he will state the names and qualifications of any representatives sent there by the Government.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Aviation Conferences.
An official invitation was received from the American Government on the 21st September. Our representatives are:—
Mr. Robert Brennan, Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America.
Mr. John Leydon, Secretary of the Department of Supplies and Chairman of Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus, Tta.
Mr. John J. Hearne, High Commissioner in Canada.
Mr. T.J. O'Driscoll, principal officer in charge of the aviation and marine division of the Department of Industry and Commerce.
Will the Taoiseach say in what form the invitation was received and what was to be discussed at the conference?
The form was the usual official invitation. If the Deputy wants any further information about the terms of the invitation, he will have to give me notice.
That was what I intended by asking in what form the invitation was received. Can the Taoiseach not say for what purpose the conference was called?
It was an aviation conference, considering questions of future air control and so on. I will get the exact terms if the Deputy wants them.
I shall put down a separate question.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state on what date and in what form and from whom an invitation was received by the Government to send representatives to the Aviation Conference being held in Montreal, and if he will state the names and qualifications of any representatives sent there by the Government; and if we have no representatives at the conference, if he will state the reasons.
There was no invitation, but, in view of our neutrality and of the fact that war matters were to be discussed, an invitation could not appropriately have been expected.
Am I to understand that war matters and not the future of civil aviation were to have been discussed at Montreal.
War matters were to be discussed.
Will the Taoiseach say whether the future of civil aviation was also to be discussed there?
Yes.
Can the Taoiseach say whether we are entering into any discussions with the other States' members of the Commonwealth with regard to civil aviation in Commonwealth countries after the war?
That question does not arise at the moment. There is a world conference proceeding at present.
Is it not a fact that the Montreal Conference was a conference consisting of representatives of the other members of the British Commonwealth to discuss aviation matters in British Commonwealth countries after the war?
I take it that it was a preliminary meeting before the world conference in Chicago.