asked the Taoiseach what the present position is of the application of this country to adhere to the GATT.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Adherence to GATT.
18.
At the suggestion of the Irish Government, consideration of our application for accession to the GATT has been deferred for the present. There are problems common to this application and to our application for membership of the European Economic Community, and we feel that it would be advisable to await developments on the latter application before resuming negotiations with the GATT.
Does GATT extend to extra-European countries as well?
Oh, yes. There is a world-wide membership.
The United States of America is a member?
Yes, certainly.
Is it not desirable to consider that aspect simultaneously with our application for membership of the European Economic Community?
The particular difficulty in our accession to GATT is the existence of a preferential system of trading here. Obviously that is also involved in the discussions with the European Economic Community. There is the further practical consideration that the personnel available to deal with all these negotiations is fully extended at the present time.
While I accept the second point, I do not understand the first. Britain is a member of GATT and also has an existing preferential system.
GATT would appear to exclude new preferences.
EEC and GATT will all be one before long.