asked the Taoiseach if he is in a position to indicate the implications arising from the ruling by the United Nations that Ireland is an underdeveloped country.
2.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - UN Report on Ireland as Underdeveloped Country.
1.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether he has seen the ruling by the United Nations body of trade experts that Ireland was an underdeveloped country; whether he is in a position to state if the facts upon which this conclusion was arrived at were reliable; and, if so, if the conclusion is justified.
3.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether, in view of the fact that Ireland is designated by a competent and responsible United Nations survey group as being underdeveloped on a par with Greece, Iceland, Portugal and Spain, he now intends to amend Ireland's application for full membership of the EEC to one of associate membership to prevent the humiliation of outright rejection of the present application.
4.
andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach if he intends to pursue his protest to the United Nations about the report in which Ireland is described as an underdeveloped country; and, if so, what steps he has taken in the matter.
5.
asked the Taoiseach if an official protest will be made to the United Nations Secretariat against the report of the working group in which this country was described as underdeveloped.
With your permission, Sir, I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5 together.
The recent press reports that Ireland was described in a United Nations document as an underdeveloped country were incorrect. The document in question is the report of a technical working group of the Commission on International Commodity Trade of the United Nations which was set up to study "Compensatory Financing for Export Shortfalls". In a footnote to Paragraph 7 of this Report, there is a classification of countries into industrial countries, on the one hand, and primary exporting countries, on the other, the latter category including what are described as "economically less developed countries", amongst which Ireland is listed. The Report gives no criteria for the designation of "economically less developed countries", which is, of course, an elastic designation. In all the circumstances, I do not consider that any formal action is called for, particularly having regard to the statement made in this connection by a United Nations spokesman and since published in our newspapers.
Will the report be placed in the Library ?
I think we can arrange to have it made available in the Library, even if it is not of very great interest in this country.
Can we take it then that the Taoiseach has got over his fit of temper of last week, and may we further take it that this country can still be described as an underdeveloped country ?
I do not know that I lost my temper last week. However, I do not think that what I said did any harm and it did me a lot of good.
Is the source of this observation to which exception is taken not the Taoiseach himself in a statement in the Irish Times on 13th November, 1957? This is what he said then:
We are glad that Ireland's Ambassador in Paris, Mr. William Patrick Fay, is chairman of the special working party which is examining under what conditions economically less developed nations such as Greece, Turkey, Iceland and Ireland may join the Free Trade Area.
Quotations are not permitted during Question Time.
I am merely referring to what the Taoiseach said when he described Greece, Turkey, Iceland and Ireland as being less-developed countries. Does he still think so?
We have had eight years of good government since.
Is that not the source of this description placing Ireland in the same category as Iceland, Greece and Turkey ?
No.
It is, of course.
Is it not a fact that the Taoiseach confirmed this definition of Ireland in the White Paper introduced here when we announced our intention of joining the EEC? Secondly, is the same definition not implied in the White Paper published on Saturday last which further supports the fact that Ireland is an economically depressed and underdeveloped country, and thirdly, is it not a fact that the CIO report on Irish industry has borne out the fundamental fact that we are an underdeveloped country and that therefore, if we are looking for membership of the Common Market at all, it should be as an associate member?
The answer to all the questions of the Deputy is in the negative.
Bluff again, the Taoiseach's favourite pastime.
Is it not a fact that here in 1961, during the debate on the trade agreement with Britain, the Taoiseach himself described Ireland as one of the so-called underdeveloped countries and that in the White Paper of that time, he refers to Ireland as participating in the Free Trade Area discussions on a par with such underdeveloped countries as Iceland ?
That is not so.
The Taoiseach has challenged the accuracy of what I am saying and, for the benefit of the House, I shall therefore quote paragraph 13, page 11——
Quotations are not allowed at Question Time.
The Taoiseach has denied this.
That is not the point. The Deputy must well know that quotations are not allowed at this time.
If the Taoiseach challenges the accuracy of what I am saying, I am entitled to say the Taoiseach is telling lies.
One of us is and I leave it to the House to say which.
I want to say that the Taoiseach is not telling the truth when he states he did not describe this country as a less developed country in the White Paper to which I referred. That White Paper was issued by his Government. Does he deny describing this country in such terms in it ?
The Deputy is not asking a question.
I am.
Either the Taoiseach is telling lies in the White Paper or he is telling lies here.
Write to The Tribune about it.
The Deputy is not asking a question. He is making statements.
Is it not a fact that in the White Paper of June, 1961, in page 11, paragraph 13, Ireland is described as one of the so-called less developed countries in the course of economic development, in conjunction with Greece, Turkey and Iceland ? Does the Taoiseach stand over that statement or does he deny it ?
We are a country in the course of economic development. That is correct.
In the same category as Greece, Turkey and Iceland.