asked the Minister for External Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a report that East German businessmen are being hindered in their efforts to promote business deals in Ireland by regulations of his Department and the Department of Justice, which require such businessmen to present a British authorised travel document to enter Ireland; and if it is possible to grant entrance facilities to Ireland directly from his Department for such people.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Facilities for East German Businessmen.
13.
Persons from the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany have not experienced difficulty in coming to Ireland when they have had visas and were in possession, for the purpose of identification, of either passports issued by the Federal German Government, which is the only German Government we recognise, or travel documents issued by the Allied Control Commission in West Berlin. Passports issued in the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany are not acceptable here for identification purposes since, in common with other Western nations, we do not accord recognition to the partition of Germany or accept as valid travel documents issued by the authorities of the so-called German Democratic Republic.