asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state whether arrangements have been made for the holding of any conference in connection with trade in industrial goods between Éire and the United Kingdom, when such arrangements were made, when and where such conference is to be held and what are the matters for discussion thereat.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Trade Conferences.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state whether arrangements have been made for the holding of any conference in connection with trade in agricultural goods between Éire and the United Kingdom, when such arrangements were made, when and where such conference is to be held and what are the matters for discussion thereat.
The answer to both these questions is that no such arrangements have been made.
Will the Taoiseach say whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the British Prime Minister, speaking on 6th of this month and declaring acceptance on the part of the British Government of the proposals made by the American Government for setting up an international commercial organisation in the interests of freer trade and the development of full employment in various countries, declared also that, in furtherance of these proposals, the British Government intended to enter into immediate negotiations with other countries, with a view to developing concrete arrangements which would bring about agreements for the reduction of trade barriers and so on, and will he say whether he has had any intimation from the British Government to that effect, or any invitation to discuss our trading relations with Great Britain in the spirit of these suggestions?
I explained to the Dáil in October that, although a review of mutual trade had taken place between the Tánaiste and the President of the Board of Trade, nevertheless the time for full-scale discussion had not yet come and that a considerable element of normality must be restored to the general conditions governing international trade before it could take place.
Is the Taoiseach aware that an agreement has apparently been come to between Great Britain and the United States that, early in the new year, there will be the first meeting of representatives of various Governments directed to forming this international organisation, and that apparently between different countries mutually interested in developing trade with one another preliminary negotiations are going to take place with a view to seeing how far the economic well-being of countries in close trading relations with one another may be made to work in with the bigger scheme contemplated by the agreement apparently come to between the United States and Great Britain? In view of that, does the Taoiseach not realise that, apart from the return of normal trading relations in the world, definite positive action is being taken by other Governments with a view to bringing about improved trading relations?
So far as we are concerned, I can only say that we are always ready to enter into negotiations of any kind which we think will be generally valuable both for world trade and for our own interests.
Bearing in mind the fact that in recent months there has been a widening sympathy with Ireland and a generally increased desire in influential quarters in Great Britain to establish friendly relations with this country, would the Taoiseach give sympathetic consideration to the question of initiating discussions on the promotion of trade agreements which would be of advantage to both countries and thereby take advantage of a situation in which all the indications point to the possibility of the conclusion of an agreement favourable to this country?
There have already been informal discussions, as the Deputy is aware, and there need be no anxiety about the making of any approaches that may be necessary.