I move:—
That the Dáil approves of the Convention of the World Meteorological Organisation signed at Washington on the 11th October, 1947, a copy of which was laid on the Table of the Dáil on the 22nd February, 1949.
International agreement upon methods of observing and reporting weather and upon procedures for the exchange and promulgation of meteorological information is essential to all national meteorological services, since each makes use as a daily routine of the information promulgated by the others.
International co-operation in these matters has hitherto been organised through the International Meteorological Organisation, which was founded in 1878. This consists of the Conference of Directors of Meteorological Services (of which each director of a national service is a member, ex officio); various technical committees or commissions establish the conference and an international secretariat.
The Irish Meteorological Service has actively participated since its establishment in 1937 in the work of the International Meteorological Organisation, and at present holds a seat on the governing body (the International Meteorological Committee) and the presidency of one of the main commissions (that of aeronautical meteorology).
At the conference of directors held at Washington, D.C., in October, 1947, a World Meteorological Convention was prepared, establishing a World Meteorological Organisation to replace the existing International Meteorological Organisation. By this convention international co-operation in meteorology, like that in the fields of telecommunication, health, aviation, etc., will be based upon agreement between States instead of agreement between national meteorological services as at present. In general the convention provides for an organisation working on the same lines as the existing organisation, with only those changes necessitated by the adoption of an inter-governmental form of agreement.
The World Meteorological Convention has so far been signed, subject to ratification, by 42 States, including ourselves. Up to date it has been ratified or acceded to by a number of States. It comes into force, and the present International Meteorological Organisation ceases to exist, when 30 States have ratified it.
Question agreed to.