Vol. 189 No. 7
andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether he has seen the statement attributed to the Vice-Chancellor of the West German Federal Republic that only members of the Outer Seven who are also members of NATO qualified for full membership of the Six; and if he will indicate the Government's policy in the light of this statement.
2.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether the statement attributed to a senior official of Professor Erhard's office, Dr. Meyer-Cording, that new members would have to accept the political institutions of the Six in the first instance is a factual statement of the situation in regard to membership of the Common Market.
With your permission, Sir, I propose to take Questions numbers 1 and 2 together.
I have seen a report attributing to the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and to a member of his staff the statements mentioned in these questions.
While I have not seen the text of the statement actually made by Professor Erhard, I presume that what he had in mind is that certain European countries which are members of E.F.T.A. might feel unable to subscribe to the Rome Treaty because of its possible political implications. These implications are, of course, important and would need to be taken fully into account in any examination of acceptance of the Rome Treaty. There is nothing, however, in that Instrument which is directly related to questions of defence, nor is there any reason to think that membership of NATO is a condition of subscribing to the Treaty.
I do not quite understand the meaning of the expression "political institutions" in the statement attributed to Dr. Meyer-Cording. I have just referred to the possible political implications of the Rome Treaty. This Instrument provides, under Article 4, that the tasks entrusted to the Community shall be ensured by a number of institutions, each of which—to quote the Rome Treaty—"shall act within the limits of the powers conferred upon it by this Treaty."
Can the Taoiseach say if the Government have arrived at a firm decision? Do they accept membership of the Common Market and of N.A.T.O.?
I have nothing to add to the statement I made in that regard last week.
When will we be in a position to discuss this matter and its implications?
I cannot say.
