asked the Minister for External Affairs whether he is aware that Press reports of the proceedings of the United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on January 12th do not quote Mr. Willard Thorpe, United States UnderSecretary of State, as having made the statement attributed to him by the Minister during the Dáil debates on July 1st; that Mr. Thorpe is reported to have said that certain countries, including Ireland, were not expected to ask for grants, and that he is not reported as having expressed any view on the probable decision on an application for a grant by this country; further, whether he is aware that, subsequently, a statement issued by the United States Information Service in London on January 19th indicated that Ireland would probably receive under the Marshall Plan supplies of named commodities equivalent to 1947 imports; finally, whether he is aware that an announcement was made by the United States State Department in Washington on January 20th that Ireland would get £37,950,000 from the United States of America in the first 15 months of the operation of the Plan; and, if so, whether he is prepared to correct any misunderstanding which may have been caused by his statement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Statement of United States UnderSecretary of State.
I take it that the Deputy's question refers to statements made by him in the Dáil on the 1st July, 1948, (Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 111, No. 14, Cols. 2014, 2015 and 2073) and in the Irish Press on various dates, to the effect that no suggestion had been made before the change of Government that European recovery programme aid by way of grant would not be available to Ireland and to my statements that these allegations were incorrect and misleading. The following are the facts:—
(1) Mr. Willard Thorpe, United States Assistant Secretary of State, stated in evidence before the United States House of Foreign Affairs Committee on the 12th January, 1948:—
"Ireland, in our calculations, might have some assistance, but it would be in the form of loan and not in the form of a grant." (Pages 59 and 60 of the House Official Reports.)
The full text of Mr. Willard Thorpe's evidence is published in the Official Reports of the United States House. On the 14th January, a copy of the full official text of Mr. Willard Thorpe's evidence, containing that passage, was sent by my Department to the Department of which Deputy Lemass was, at that time, Minister, with a covering letter drawing attention to this passage of Mr. Willard Thorpe's evidence.
(2) The Irish newspapers of January 13th carried a summary of Mr. Thorpe's evidence. The Irish Press carried that summary, on its front page under a three-column heading, reading as follows:—
"LOAN TO IRELAND IN MARSHALL PLAN, GRANT NOT NEEDED."
(3) On the following day the Irish Independent, under the heading:—
"ÉIRE NEVER MADE CASE FOR U.S. GRANT,"
stated on its main news page:—
"No surprise was created in Dublin by the statement by Mr. Thorpe, Assistant Secretary of State, before the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that Éire was not expected to ask for grants and would be able to finance her own rehabilitation through loans."
That statement was not controverted on behalf of the Government.
(4) By reason of the evidence of Mr. Willard Thorpe, referred to above, on the 16th January a memorandum was handed to the American Minister on behalf of the then Minister for External Affairs (Deputy de Valera) referring to this evidence and advancing arguments against Mr. Thorpe's evidence. A copy of this memorandum was sent to the Deputy's Department for his information.
(5) On the 14th January a report was published in the New York Times stating that Ireland had been classified as a country that would receive aid by way of loan only, and not by way of grant. The attention of the then Minister for Industry and Commerce (Deputy Lemass) was directed to this report and a copy of it was supplied to his Department.
(6) The statement referred to by the Deputy, stated to have been issued by the United States Information Service in London, on the 19th January, related solely to the quantities of commodities that were likely to be made available under the Marshall Plan. It contained no suggestion that those commodities would be financed by way of grant.
(7) The announcement referred to by the Deputy as having been made by the United States State Department in Washington on January 20th, stated expressly: "no estimate as between loans and grants has been established" and that the method of financing could not then be indicated.
Accordingly, it is clear beyond doubt that the Deputy made statements that were incorrect and misleading in the Dail, when he stated:—
"(a) It was a surprise to the whole Irish people and a particular surprise to us, who had previous contact with the administration of official business, when the Minister announced, prior to his departure to the United States, that grant aid would not be forthcoming."
"(b) I say, however, that up to the day we left office no suggestion had been made that grant aid would not be forthcoming."
In view of the foregoing facts, I trust that the Deputy will now admit that he was mistaken and withdraw the statements made by him.
Is it not a fact that the Government was informed that Mr. Thorpe, in his statement before the United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, had misread his instructions and that nothing that he said was to be taken as indicating that a decision had been taken by the American authorities?
I am not aware of that. I am aware that the Deputy has made statements to the effect that no suggestion had been made before he left office that Ireland might receive aid otherwise than by grant. I have now proved that the Deputy had full information showing that that suggestion had been made, not once but repeatedly. It had been published in the American Press; it had been published in his own newspaper and in the Irish Independent. I now ask the Deputy to withdraw.
Is the Minister aware that what he has said is untrue, that no statement was published in any Irish newspaper from any authoritative source, which indicated that a decision had been taken that aid by way of grant would not be given to this country? Will the Minister publish the report presented to the Minister for External Affairs by the Secretary of that Department on his return from Washington?
I do not know what report the Deputy is referring to.
The report about this very matter.
I do know that the statements the Deputy has made in this House and in his newspaper have been proved to be untrue. I suggest that the Deputy might now withdraw them.
I suggest that the Minister has made statements which are untrue and that he should withdraw them, and I am asking him to put this matter to the test by publishing the document to which I referred.