asked the Minister for External Affairs if he has received any communication recently concerning the application of Eire for admission to membership of the United Nations Organisation; if so, the nature of such communication; and if not, if he will make a statement concerning the present position of the application.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - United Nations Organisation—Éire Membership Application.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will state the present position regarding Ireland's application for admission to the United Nations Organisation; and whether, in view of the attitude of Russia towards the application, he will now withdraw it.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if, in view of the rejection of Ireland's application for membership to the United Nations Organisation, it is the intention of the Government to withdraw the application.
I propose to reply to Questions 3, 4 and 5 together.
In reply to a Question by Deputy Mulcahy on the 21st November, I informed the House that the United Nations Assembly had asked the Security Council to re-examine the applications made by five States, including Ireland. The Security Council has since undertaken to make this re-examination and has also agreed to consult with the General Assembly with a view to preparing rules to govern the admission of new members to the United Nations Organisation. That is how the matter stands at present.
It is natural in view of what has happened that the question of withdrawing our application should be raised but, for the present at any rate, I do not propose to interfere with the course of events.
Does the Minister not consider that it is humiliating and degrading for this country to be in the position of continuing to apply for membership of an organisation after being rejected? Is this nation to wait, like a penitent, on the doorstep of the United Nations Organisation, until the gentlemen in the Kremlin make up their minds that we are good enough to be admitted? Surely the dignified course is to withdraw our application?
I think it is the general feeling of the people, in view of Russia's attitude towards us, that the Taoiseach should take immediate steps to withdraw the application.
Will the Taoiseach say, in relation to the documents already issued as an official publication, why these have not been circulated to Deputies generally?
I could not answer that. I know they were made available, but I could not say whether or not they were circulated.